ROBYN SMITH HUNTER was only 23 years old when she died on October 8, 1976, in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital, succumbing to leukemia after a brave, four-year struggle against the disease. Born November 9, 1952, in Lubbock, Texas, she graduated from Mclain High School in Tulsa. She enrolled at Harding College in the fall of 1970 planning for a career in creative writing. In March, 1972, during her sophomore year, she became ill with leukemia and for several weeks he received intensive radiation and chemotherapy treatments in Tulsa. She returned to Harding in the fall of 1972 and received the B.A. degree in journalism on May 12, 1974. During much of her last two years in college it was necessary for her to return to Tulsa twice a month for treatment. During her senior year, 1973-74, she was editor of the Bison, the college's newspaper, and the recipient of the Hammon Scholarship in journalism. She made the Dean's List for high academic achievement, was elected to membership in Alpha Phi Gamma, a journalistic honor society, and was a member of the Harding Band and Theta Psi social club. Upon her graduation, she was employed as editorial associate in the Public Relations Office of the college. She was married in November, 1974, to Ray Hunter, who is now a Harding senior. Robyn was a devoted Christian who was loved and admired by all who knew her. ELBERT TURMAN, who retired as chief engineer for the college in 1965, died at the age of 80 on October 8, 1976, after suffering a fractured hip in a fall at home. Bom July 9, 1896,' in Hickman County, Tennessee, he grew up on a farm in middle Tennessee and attended the county high school where his father was a teacher. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War I, he went to western Oklahoma where he met Maude Martin whom he married on September 3, 1921. After farming for several years, he went to work as a caretakerforthe Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite. In the spring of 1945 Mr. Turman came to Harding College in response to the pleas of Dr. George S. Benson, then Harding's president, to be in charge of maintenance, including the boiler room. The following year, the college obtained from the Jacksonville Air Force Base some boilers to replace the old boilers that were literally burned out. Mr. Turman personally planned and supervised the taking down, moving and reassembling of the high-pressure boilers from Jacksonville. During the 22 years that he served as chief engineer, he made Harding one of the most efficiently operated colleges in the state. He was a member of the Westside church of Christ. He is survived by his wife who still lives on campus and by five children. PATTIE ARMSTRONG SEARS, pioneer Harding College leader, died January 26, 19n, at the age of n. In poor health for the last several months, she was hospitalized about ten days before her death with a fractured pelvis suffered in a fall at home. She was born March 27, 1899, at Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of John Nelson and Woodson Harding Armstrong. Her father was president of Harding College from the time of its chartering in 1924 until his resignation in 1936. Her grandfather, James A. Harding, was one of the founders of the Nashville Bible School, later called David Lipscomb College, and was the man for whom Harding College is named. Her mother was Dean of Women and Professor of Speech at Harding for many years. On September 17, 1917, she was married to Lloyd Cline Sears who had been a student of her father at Cordell Christian College in Oklahoma. Her husband served as Dean of Harding College from 1924 to 1960. She was the mother of Dr. Jack Wood Sears, chairman of the Department of Biological Science since 1946, and Dr. James Kern Sears, a research chemist with Monsanto Chemical Company in St. Louis. She was always active in teaching children's classes and the Women's Bible Class of the College church of Christ. Photograph by Baker-Walker Photography 410 - MEMORIAM
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