Funeral Services for Roy Sawatzky, 80, Bessie resident, will be held 10:00 A.M., Saturday, March 19, 2022, in the Free Will Baptist Church, officiated by Rev. Charles Murphy. Burial will follow in the Parkersburg Cemetery in Clinton, OK under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.
Roy Cornelius Sawatzky was born along with twin brother, Ray on February 21, 1942, to Meno P. and Eva J. (Schmidt) Sawatzky in Clinton, OK and passed away Monday, March 14, 2022, in the Clinton Veterans Center in Clinton, OK.
Roy was raised in Clinton and graduated from Clinton High School in 1960. The following fall he began working for the Midwest Farmers Gin for the next six years.
He married Carolyn Fadenrecht on February 11, 1966, in Joes, CO. He was drafted in the U.S. Army on May 3, 1966. He served a term in Vietnam and while there his wife gave birth to their first child, Celesta and she was six months old before he saw her for the first time. He came home on a thirty day leave before being sent to North Carolina to finish his military obligation and was honorably discharged on May 2, 1968.
He returned to Clinton, OK and again worked for the Midwest Farmers Gin for two more years. He worked for the Clinton Glass Company for 14 years. During that time along with Eddie Schmidt, his brother-in-law, they built around 45 houses for Calvin Browning. He worked the next 20 years for the Farmers Coop in Clinton and farmed at the same time. He retired from the Coop and continued his farming operation.
At the death of Roy’s dad, Ray and Roy purchased the home place. Roy farmed it for the next 12 years and then he put in grass and ran cattle for 18 years.
He is a member of the Free Will Baptist Church; his hobbies were doing carpentry, messing with his cattle and hogs and fishing.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, two sisters, Beulah Gregg, and Eldeen Schmidt, twin brother, Ray Sawatzky and Robert “Bob” Sawatzky.
He is survived by his three children, Celesta Ensminger and husband, Leslie, Davis, OK, Charles Sawatzky and wife, Sandra and Cindy Gagne and husband, Joe, Clinton, OK. He is also survived by grandchildren, Brent Sawatzky, Blake Sawatzky, Joshua Sawatzky, Roy Stucker, Reagan Gagne, Addyson Gagne and Charles Sawatzky, Jr.; great-grandchildren, Lexi Sawatzky, Taylor Sawatzky, Anthany Hayes, Aaron Sawatzky, Macie Sawatzky, Avery Sawatzky, Gray Stucker, Braxtyn Taylor, Greyson Trogdon, Otto Leeroy on the way.