Rev. Winford Fay Conley

Rev. Winford Fay Conley, 81, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, went to his heavenly home Saturday, September 3, 2016, to his Eternal Lord and Savior. Winford was born the son of Earnest and Mazie (Harkness) Conley on October 17, 1934, in Burlison, TN. He was raised on the family cotton farm, and like most farmers’ children Winford learned the meaning of a hard day’s work, picking cotton. Winford found the Lord as a young child and began preaching by the age of 15. He attended the Ft. Scott Bible School and finished his high school education. During this time he was introduced to a young lady by the name of Beulah Spohn by her uncle W.L. Gates, a man Winford respected. They were united in marriage on May 16, 1954, and travelled by train on their honeymoon and that evening went to a church and Winford was asked to preach and thus he did. He not only preached but Beulah played the piano and she sang a special, and thus on the evening of their honeymoon their ministry truly began. They ministered in the Church of God (Holiness) and spent more than 42 years in that ministry together. Over the years they faithfully pastored churches, including Salina, OK, Riverview and Hazel Green, MO, Memphis, TN, and Neosho, MO. Not only was Winford in the ministry, but he was a carpenter and beekeeper. At one point, he cared for more than 100 hives, averaging in a good year 4,000 pounds of honey. He helped launch and was President of the Neosho, MO, Bee Association for several years. He had an uncanny understanding with his bees and didn’t need to wear a bee suit when working with the hives. Once retired, Winford and Beulah continued to fill in at various churches, revivals and camp meetings including pastoring and traveling to Pittsburg, KS, on the weekends to help out a church there for a couple of years. They loved to work in the garden and canning the vegetables they grew. Winford had a grape arbor and fruit trees, and he enjoyed picking berries and pecans. His hobby was rabbit hunting with his beagle dogs. He also enjoyed fishing and even made his own fish nets. He was a faithful and devoted husband and a wonderful provider for his family. He served as a light unto this world in his own quiet and gentle way and he will be missed by his family and all that knew him. Winford is survived by “His Beautiful Wife” Beulah; four children, Dewayne Conley and Deana of Dewey, Charlotte Conley Smith and Frank of Loveland, OH, Brenda Conley of West Chester, OH, and Gary Conley and Tricia of De Soto, KS; five siblings, Herbert Conley and Helen, Billy Conley, Franklin Conley and Joyce, Myrtice Stringfellow and Mildred Marbry, all of Tennessee; seven grandchildren, Heidi Hendricks and Bronc, Marci Rovenstine and Aaron, Alanna Ryder and Lucas, Andrew Smith, Janette Fahlgren and Josh, Amanda Conley and Cory Conley; and six great grandchildren, Tyler, Conner, T.J., Sawyer, Logan and Easton. He is preceded in death by his parents, one brother, James Conley, and a sister, Lorene, who died at 2 years old. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Kansas City Christian College (formally Kansas City College and Bible School), 7401 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS 66204. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, at the Bartlesville First Church of the Nazarene. Interment will follow at the Ball Cemetery, Nowata County. Services are under the direction of Carter Davis and the Davis Family Funeral Home, Dewey, OK. Online condolences and remembrances may be shared with Winford’s family at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com.

Rev. Winford Fay Conley

October 17, 1934 - September 3, 2016