NOONIE FORTIN
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NOONIE FORTIN
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This page was added on 1 February 2008. Killed in the Oklahoma City bombing: 1995: 4 US Military women, 7 US Civilian women Total a/o 1 Feb 08: 4 US Military women, 7 US Civilian women 11 US women killed in OKC On 19 April 1995 the Oklahoma City Bombing took place at the Murrah Building. Listed on this page you'll find some of the women who died that day--most of whom had a military connection of one type or another. Some are military, some are civilians and one had a military background. Other women, men and children also died. All their stories can all be found at Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum which is the Official Website where I got this information from as well as the photos that are shown here: CIVILIAN Rebecca Anderson, 37
USA SFC Lola Renee Bolden, 40
CIVILIAN Karen Gist Carr, 32
CIVILIAN Peggy Louise Holland, 37
USAF A1C Lakesha R. Levy, 21
USAF A1C Cartney Jean McRaven, 19
CIVILIAN Claudine Ritter, 48
USA MSG Victoria Lee Sohn, 36
CIVILIAN Dolores M. Stratton, 51
CIVILIAN Kayla Titsworth, 3
CIVILIAN Wanda Watkins, 49
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Lola,
who was originally from Birmingham, AL, had been stationed in the Oklahoma City
Recruiting Battalion for four months. The 15-year Army veteran worked in the
fourth-floor recruiting station in the federal building. The single mother had
transferred from Colorado to Oklahoma in January. Her son Ricky described his
mother as kind and funny, and said she would have pillow fights and “stuff” with
her kids. She is survived by a daughter and two sons, Ricky Hill, and Jonathan.
Karen
was a “people” person who embraced life. “She just made living a 24-hour
vocation,” said the Rev. Leslie Brown, pastor of First Christian Church in
Midwest City, where Carr attended. Karen was an advertising assistant for the
Army recruiting office. In addition to her full-time job, she was an aerobics
instructor at the Downtown YMCA and at Rose State College. She was also a member
of the Mid-Del Toastmasters Club. Karen and her husband Gregory had just
celebrated their eighth anniversary eight days before she was killed in the
explosion.
A
Kentucky native Peggy became a welcome addition to the Oklahoma City area in
1987 when she assumed responsibilities in public information and command
information programs for the Army. Most recently a computer specialist for the
Army Recruiting Battalion in Oklahoma City, Peggy gave much of her time to
children at Knob Hill Baptist Church as a Sunday school teacher, children’s
choir teacher and vacation Bible school teacher. She was also secretary of the
Coolidge Eyes and Ears Neighborhood Watch Association. She and her husband
Richard have two children, Erica and Kylie.
Lakesha
was intelligent and a budding comedian. Karen Johnson of New Orleans said her
niece was focusing on her medical-related job aspirations, but she had a
wonderful sense of humor and could easily have excelled as a comic. In one of
their last telephone conversations, Karen said Lakesha mentioned she had dreamed
she was a stand-up comedian. Karen said her niece’s dream came as no surprise
since she always kept the family laughing. Lakesha always had a joke to tell and
brought smiles to everyone’s faces, Karen said. Lakesha, of Midwest City, was
training to be a lab technician at Tinker Air Force Base. She had gone to the
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building to obtain a Social Security card, relatives
said.
Cartney
had returned from a four-month deployment in Haiti two weeks before the bombing
of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Four days before the bombing, on 15
April, she married Senior Airman Anthony Shane McRaven. The couple was planning
a large formal wedding in December. On the morning of 19 April Cartney was in
the Social Security office at the Murrah Building reporting her name change. She
was a native of Watertown, SD. She was a member of the 3rd Combat Communications
Group, 32nd Combat Communications Squadron. She and her husband were both
stationed at Tinker Air Force Base. The couple spent much of their spare time
helping in a local Salvation Army soup kitchen. “We stand back in tears and
disbelief and ask, ‘Why?’” said a press release issued by her unit.
"Claudine
had friends around the US and was always helping others," her cousin, Marilyn
Harrington said. In fact, Claudine was constantly taking trips just to visit her
elderly aunts and uncles hundreds of miles away. "She'd go just to be with them,
then take them places," Marilyn said. "She was the kindest person, and she loved
her three grandchildren dearly." Claudine, of Moore, OK, had been a collection
officer for the Federal Employees Credit Union since February 1987. She was
raised in Atwood and joined the Army in 1965. She maintained active and reserve
status. She attended Rose State College and Central State University, where in
1982 she earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. She also obtained her
teaching certificate.
Victoria
had an “illustrious career,” giving 16 years to the service of her country, and
was remembered with outstanding compliments. “Placing all others’ needs above
her own, she unselfishly gave her care and concern to all whose lives she
touched,” read the obituary for Victoria of Moore, OK. “Vickey was a
perfectionist, striving for and achieving a level of accomplishment surpassed by
none.” She is survived by her husband, SFC Gregory P. Sohn; as well as her five
children, Gregory Jr, Jessica, Stephen, Victoria Marie and John Michael.
“Vickey, above all else was a beloved wife, and a devoted mother of five
children.”
Dolores,
who lived in Moore, OK, was a good friend, mother and grandmother. She was a
military personnel clerk for the Army recruiting office. Her husband is retired
Air Force MSG Charles “Chuck” H. Stratton. They have a daughter, Michelle
Sawyer; a son, Jay Sawyer; and two stepdaughters, Kim Fairclough and Kelly
Stratton.
“Kayla
was at the Murrah Building with her family in the Army's Recruiting office when
the bomb exploded. SGT William Titsworth was at the U.S. Army Recruiting
Battalion to report for his new assignment in Oklahoma City after transferring
from Fort Riley, KS.”, said COL John Meyers, director of public affairs for the
Army Recruiting Command in Fort Knox, KY. William, his wife Gloria, and Kayla
were in the office’s processing unit, probably filling out paperwork, at the
time of the bombing, COL Meyers said. William and Gloria survived the blast.
Wanda
of Oklahoma City could crochet circles around most people. She was a civilian
who worked for the Army as a clerk in the recruiting office. Wanda loved to
dance, was an Elvis fan and collected records and liquor bottles, although she
didn’t drink. She also will be remembered for her good sense of humor and the
colorful flowers in her garden.