Sad News - Jesse Gailey, Totah Telephone

Jan 26 2012

Mr. Jesse Robert Gailey, 70, of Ochelata, died at 4:33 A.M. on Monday, January 16, 2012.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday in the First Baptist Church at Ochelata, Oklahoma. Interment will be in the Ochelata Cemetery under the direction of the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory.
In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made to the First Baptist Church C/O Linda Wiles 394640 W. 2628 Dr. Ochelata, Oklahoma 74051.
Jesse Robert Gailey was born August 12, 1941 in Blackwell, Oklahoma; his parents were E. R. and Lela Belle (Hampton) Gailey. He graduated from Ochelata High School in 1959; Mr. Gailey attended Northeastern State University of Oklahoma from 1960 to 1964, graduating with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration. He was married to Marilyn Sue Mitchell on June 16, 1962 at the First Baptist Church in Dewey, Oklahoma Mr. Gailey was president of Totah Telephone Co., Inc. for 32 years. (1966 to 1998). He was Chairman of the Board of Totah Communications, Inc. (1998 to present) and Past President of Oklahoma Telephone Association, (1973-1974). He was past president of Kansas Telephone Association (1978 to 1979), member of the Kansas Telecommunications Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Telecommunications Hall of Fame. Mr. Gailey was a Bill Barnes award recipient from the Oklahoma Telephone Association and past board member of Oklahoma and Kansas Telephone Associations. Mr. Gailey served as Vice President of the Ochelata Volunteer Fire Department for 35 years. He was a member of various national trade organizations: National Telephone Cooperation Association, Organization for Preservation and Advancement of Small Telephone Co., United States Telephone Association, PCIA, NRTC, Western Rural Telephone Association and CTIA. Mr. Gailey served as President and Chairman of the Board of Liberty Cellular, Inc. of Salina, Kansas. He was Co-owner and Vice President of Valley Block LLC. Of Pahrump, Nevada. Mr. Gailey was a board member of the Northeastern State University Alumni Foundation and served for 10 years on the Board of Directors of the Washington County Industrial Trust Authority. He served 15 years as Secretary of Treasury for the Ochelata Recreation Club, an organization responsible for summer activities for children and youth. Mr. Gailey served as Grand Marshall of the Ochelata 4th of July activities, coached little league baseball for 15 years and served 6 years on the Board of Directors for the Washington County American Red Cross and an original Partner of FW&A.
Survivors include his wife of over 49 years, Marilyn Gailey of the family home at Ochelata; three sons and daughters-in-law Mark and Angie Gailey and Matthew Gailey and Kim Gailey of Ochelata, and Michael and Jada Gailey of Stillwater, Oklahoma; his mother Lela Belle Gailey of Marshfield, Missouri; one brother Shan Gailey of Ochelata; two sisters Barbara Foster of Ochelata and Shawn Adams of Marshfield, Missouri; eleven grandchildren and one great grandchild. Mr. Gailey was preceded in death by his father, one brother Darrel Ray Gailey and one granddaughter Tallie D. Gailey