Wilburn Dale 'Strawberry' Arthur passed away at his home in Holdenville on Sunday morning, August 1, 2010. He was 71 years old.

Strawberry was the son of John Arthur & Beatrice 'Bea' (Bailey) Arthur, born on November 7, 1938 at Lamar, Oklahoma. He was brought up in the Lamar community, and also in the Bohannon community south of Stuart. He attended Moss, Bohannon and Stuart schools, and graduated Stuart High School in 1958. He served two years in the U.S. Army, and during the Cuban Missile Crisis had received all required shots and was prepared for shipping out to Cuba, when President John F. Kennedy announced that the conflict had been resolved.

Strawberry married Shirley Black on March 28, 1964, in Holdenville. They lived in Holdenville and maintained their home there while he worked in the pipeline for many years, retiring in 2004 to take care of his granddaughter, Chloe, and spending the rest of his years enjoying all his grandchildren. He enjoyed fishing, but his greatest joy was baseball and softball with his kids and grandkids and all their friends, sometimes getting in the game himself, sometimes just watching and cheering them on.

He is preceded in death by his parents, John & Bea Arthur; two sisters, Della Mae Wolf and Annabell Mitchell, and two brothers, Delbert Arthur and Earl Arthur.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Shirley, of the home; his son and daughter-in-law, Mike & LaDonna Arthur of Holdenville; his daughter and son-in-law, Tina Michelle 'Sis' & Shane Brinlee, of Allen, Oklahoma; four grandchildren: Stephanie Branscum and husband Steven, of Holdenville, Cain Brinlee, Sydney Brinlee and Chloe Brinlee, all of Allen; one great-granddaughter, Aubrie Branscum, and great-grandson Cole Michael Branscum who will be arriving any day now; his sister, Vonnie Cullen of Okay, Oklahoma, and his brother and sister-in-law, Leroy & Madge Arthur of Edmond, Oklahoma; two nephews raised with him as brothers, Orville Rose and wife Bobbie, of Holdenville and Harold Dean Rose of Sawyer, Kansas; five sisters-in-law: Dorothy Jones, Jane Keeney, Betty Smith and husband Jim, all of Holdenville, Joann Jumet and husband David, of Odessa, Missouri, CeeCee Black of Wewoka; brother-in-law Oscar Black and wife Martha, of Allen; numerous nieces and nephews, various other relatives, and many, many friends.

Funeral services will be Thursday, August 5, 2010, 1:30 p.m. at Faith Free Will Baptist Church in Holdenville, and Strawberry will be laid to rest in the Holdenville Cemetery. Rev. Earl Scroggins is the officiating minister. Pallbearers are Scott Keeney, Heath Keeney, Rusty Smith, Shane Jumet, Chad Jumet, Jason Barnett, Brandon Barnett, Tony Smith, Shawn Smith, David Smith, Steve Keeney, Christopher Garvin, Jerry Don Garvin, Brad Black, Dennis Black, Donnie Black, John Black, Sean Wolf, Josh Rose and Tracy Cullen. Honorary pallbearers are Guye Richard Reeder and Jerry Tynes.