In Memory of

Steve

Wesley

Boydston

Obituary for Steve Wesley Boydston

Steve Wesley Boydston, born December 13, 1932, passed into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on September 25, 2018, at the age of 85 years, 9 months, and 12 days. He was born in Depew, Oklahoma to Charles (Charley) Wesley Boydston and Daisy Mae (Lutz) Boydston. His parents divorced when he was four years old, and he was raised by his father on a farm in Agra, OK. Being born and raised during the depression, he was raised with a very strong work ethic, that nothing was irreparable and that you always lend a helping hand. Raised in a musical family, he was gifted on the mandolin, harmonica, guitar, fiddle, piano and banjo and he shared his talent by playing wherever he was. He would be playing while seated in a restaurant, hospital, or doctor's office, at music festivals and at home and would have many people compliment him, request songs or tell stories about their relative that played the same instrument. He was always interested in other peoples stories and experiences. He learned to be a machinist at an early age. He tore down the magneto from the tractor and, not being able to put it back together, he threw it under the porch. When questioned by his father, he retrieved the magneto, and his father, being a very patient father, instructed him on how to fabricate the parts he had broken in order to repair the magneto. With this training, he was awarded his first paying job by repairing the motor on the merry-go-round for the circus. While working for the circus, he tended the animals and also learned to ride a motorcycle and performed the wall of death by riding the motorcycle in a large barrel-shaped wooden cylinder. He loved going fast. As a teenager, he and some friends built a race car using parts from the salvage yard and decided to take it to Utah to run it. Since none of them were old enough to have a drivers license, they had to hire a driver to take it to Utah. When they arrived in Utah, Steve drew the short straw and raced it and won.

His father and him move to California and went to work in the fruit orchards. His dad returned to Oklahoma after a short time, but Steve remained in California and went to work at an airport as a night watchman and learned to perform maintenance on and taxi the airplanes, learning to fly the plane by inadvertently applying too much speed and having to avoid fence posts and high lines. After landing the plane, the owner of the plane offered to give him lessons, which led to him getting his pilot's license. With this knowledge, he joined the United States Air Force in order to serve his country. Shortly after his enlistment, he contracted rheumatic fever and being unable to complete his enlistment, he was honorably discharged. He returned to Oklahoma and farmed with his Dad until he was able to walk. He and two friends purchased an airplane, repaired it and Steve flew it to Tulsa where they enjoyed flying it and then later sold it. He was studying nursing at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, but discontinued his education and went to work for Liberty Glass. He married Virginia Bedford in 1955 and made their home in Chandler, OK and then moved to Woodward, OK, where he made a living working in the oilfield until he contracted rheumatic fever a second time. Unable to continue working in the oilfield, he started driving a truck. Employed by Hill and Hill, he transported oilfield equipment to Alaska before there was a highway, driving the frontier roads. Purchasing his own truck, he leased to Park Hill to haul heavy equipment and later to Morgan Drive Away hauling mobile homes. In order to be home to raise his children, he went to machinist school and after graduation, went to work at the machine shop in Pryor, OK, where they machined parts for the Saturn rockets used in the Apollo Space Program. Again purchasing a truck, he and friend, Ray Zirger, started Can-Am Trucking. Selling his interest in Can-Am, he purchased a truck and leased to Bruenger in Hutchinson, KS. After a severe trucking accident and a divorce, he purchased another truck and leased to Tri-State Motor Transit, hauling anything from heavy equipment to TNT. He married Charlotte G Bradford on May 20, 1976. and moved to Moore, OK. After the trucking shutdown in the 1980's, he left Tri-State and leased to Bama Transportation in Tulsa where he hauled Bama pies and products until 1997. He leased to Power Express and moved heavy equipment, oversized permit loads, dry boxes and other loads until his retirement in 2010. Upon retirement, he and Charlotte enjoyed traveling in their motorhome. They traveled throughout the United States, attending Bluegrass festivals, visiting family, and seeing the sights until his health forced him to retire from traveling, but never from playing his music, anytime, anyplace.







He often said his greatest joy was marrying Charlotte, and his greatest accomplishment was his children, grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren. He would do everything he could for his family, sometimes having to be reined in by Charlotte reminding him that what you did for one you had to do for the others. He enjoyed cooking for his family, especially at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family gatherings, where he made sure there was plenty of evertime (gravy). He would deny his children nothing if possible. He did deny Laura one request. She asked him to teach her to drive his truck, but he said no because no daughter of his was going to drive a truck for a living. She told him later that she did not want to drive it for a living, she just enjoyed driving a manual transmission vehicle and it had a lot of gears.

He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church of Moore, OK. He was a member of the Oklahoma Bluegrass Association, American Legion, National Rifle Association and the VFW.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Charley Boydston and Daisy Boydston, two sons, Michal Joe Boydston and Daniel Patrick Boydston, and one grandson, Forrest Francis Hobson.

He is survived by wife, Charlotte Boydston, of the home; three sons, Steve Charles (Chuck) Boydston, Coweta, OK, Thomas C Bradford and wife Kristi of Moore, OK and David A Bradford and wife Janet of Norman, OK; five daughters, Jesse Lynn Rhinamon of Turtle Creek, PA, Sharon Vigil and husband Fred of Canyon Lake, TX, Anna Johnson and husband Eugene of Moore, OK, Laura Simpson and husband Joe of Canute, OK, and Alicia Sanderson and husband Dale of Canton, OK; twenty grandchildren, Charles Prince of PA, Dee Alicia, CA, Alena, Austin, and Andrew Rhinamon of Locust Grove, OK, Michael Johnson and wife Casey of Piedmont, OK, Victoria Stone and husband Jeremy of Moore, OK, Erin Conyers and husband Mark of Moore, OK, Sean Bradford of Moore, OK, Ryli Bradford of Moore, OK, Jameson Bradford of Littleton, CO, Jordan Bradford of Denver, CO, Sarah Bradford of Kansas City, MO, Stephen Bradford and Elianah Bradford of Norman, OK, Katelynn Brasch and husband Austin of Taloga, OK, Jake Sanderson of Edmond, OK, Isaac Sanderson of Canton, OK, Shannon Cromer and husband Christopher of Canyon Lake, TX, and Sarah Vigil-Santoya and husband Arvy of Arvada, CO; and seventeen great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his cousin, Dorothy Stewart, and sister, Geneva Sauers.