Delphine Jewell, age 95, retired nurse, educator, and missionary, died at Epworth Villa, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma June 21, 2026 following a long-illness.

She was born October 22, 1930 in Enid, Oklahoma to Henry Calvin "Kelly" and Minnie Lee McClure Jewell. She attended grade school and two-years of high school in Enid, Oklahoma. She graduated from Augusta High School in Augusta, Kansas.

Delphine received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa; a Registered Nurse degree from Bryan Memorial School of Nursing, Lincoln, Nebraska; a certificate of Nurse-Midwifery from the Frontier Nursing Service in Hyden, Kentucky, and a Master of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Colorado.

Delphine was a nurse educator in Oklahoma and Kansas for thirty-years, teaching at St. Mary's Hospital, Enid, Oklahoma, Sacred Heart College (now Kansas Newman) in Wichita, Kansas, and the University of Tulsa. She served as Chair of the Department of Nursing at Northern Oklahoma College, Tonkawa, Oklahoma for twelve-years. She served as a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church for eight-years in Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church from the age of 16, serving the church in various capacities. She was always a member of a church choir. Other positions included various offices of United Methodist Women, Sunday School teacher, and Mission chair. One of her greatest joys was to "turn people on to God's Mission" around the world.

During her life as a nurse-educator she was actively involved in related organizations. She held various positions in the American Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing. She was elected National President of the Nurses Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology (now Association for Women, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nursing.) She was also a member of the Nursing Honorary Society, Sigma Theta Tau. Much of her professional life was spent teaching prenatal classes as well as nursing students. As a clinical nurse specialist, she coordinated the establishment of the first in-hospital birthing center in Oklahoma at Hillcrest Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Delphine is survived by many caring nieces and nephews. Most significant is her "sisterly niece" Eileen Stair of Stillwater, Oklahoma, as well as Eileen's three sons, Eric and wife Lalai, children Eric and Olivia of Woodbury Minnesota, Evan and wife Dana, children Elizabeth and Lance of Norman, Oklahoma, and Eron Stair of Stillwater, Oklahoma. She has been blessed by the presence of surrogate families, namely Julia Reid and her daughters, Emma Bollinger and Maria Bollinger as well as Sharla Duncan Payne and her husband Charles of Moore, Oklahoma. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Elizabeth and Betty Jo, one brother Albert, and two infant brothers.

Memorial services for Delphine will be held at 2:00 PM, July 10, 2026, Brill Chapel at Epworth Villa, 14901 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73134 with a private interment at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church Memorial Garden and Columbarium. The Reverend David Burris of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial funds have been established in her name for Chapel Hill United Methodist Church Faith Promise program, Epworth Villa Benevolent fund, and Northern Oklahoma College Nursing Scholarship Fund.

The family expresses a heartfelt thank you to friends Wilma Reppert, Cathy Nichols, Sharla and Charles Payne, Julia Reid, Heather Perkins - Hospice Nurse, Nurse Eunice Cherubet, and the entire nursing staff at Epworth Villa and Chaplain Laura Glover who lovingly assisted in Delphine's final years.