Delphine Jewell, age 95, retired nurse educator and missionary, died at Epworth Villa in Oklahoma City following a short illness.

She was born October 22, 1930, in Enid, Oklahoma to the late H.C. “Kelly” and Minnie Lee (McClure) Jewell. Delphine attended grade school and 2 years of high school in Enid and graduated from Augusta High School in Augusta, Kansas after attending her senior year of high school there.

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 from the University of Colorado.

As a nurse educator in Oklahoma and Kansas for 30 years, Delphine taught at St. Mary’s Hospital, Enid, OK., Sacred Heart College (now Kansas, Newman) in Wichita, KS and the University of Tulsa. She served as Chair of the Department of Nursing at Northern Oklahoma College, Tonkawa, OK for 12 years. She served as a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church for 8 years in Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church since the age of 16, serving the church in various capacities. Delphine 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 American Nurses Assoc. and National Leage for Nursing. She was elected national president of the Nurses Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology (now Assoc. 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, OK.

Delphine is survived by many caring nieces and nephews. Most significant is her “sisterly niece” Eileen Austin Stair of Stillwater, OK, as well as Eileen’s 3 sons, Eric and wife Lalai of Woodbury, Minnesota, Evan and wife Dana of Norman, OK and Eron Stair of Stillwater. She has been blessed by the presence of surrogate families, namely Julia Reid and her daughters, Emma Bollinger and Maria Bollinger of Stillwater as well as Sharla Duncan Payne and husband Charles of Moore, OK. In addition to her parents, Delphine was preceded in death by two sisters, Elizabeth Austin and Betty Jo Modglin; one brother, Albert Jewell and two infant brothers.

Memorial services will be held in the Brill Chapel at Epworth Villa officiated by Reverend David Burris of Broken Arrow, OK. *Date and Time of service to be determined*

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