John Earl Mozingo, Jr.

John Earl Mozingo, Jr., 84, of Pryor, passed away on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at his home. He was born in Salina, Oklahoma, to John Earl Mozingo Sr., and Ethel (Bowman) Mozingo, the youngest in a family of eight children. John worked various jobs as a young man. He worked at National Gypsum from 1963-1973 and was a county commissioner from 1987-1997. His claim to fame, however, was the tractor excavating yard work he performed for fifty years. John also had a ranching operation for sixty years. Even as a young teenager he had hogs. His father raised cotton and gave him an acre of cotton of his own. He bought himself two red heifers with the profit. John loved horses and loved to rope. His cousin Nick McNair brought an old mare and colt out to the farm and John would jump on the old mare and ride her around bareback.

John’s family rented the farm and one day out by the side of the barn he told his mom, “One of these days I am going to own this farm.” John married Joy Sue Gates in 1959, and they bought the farm and lived there forty years. After losing their grandson in a wreck on the way to their house, the farm was never the same to them. In 2000 they bought a farm in Pryor and lived there the remainder of John’s life. Throughout the years they occasionally bought and sold different properties. They were married sixty-four years.

John was saved at the First Baptist Church in Salina when he was ten years old and has been a Southern Baptist all his life, attending in Adair, Salina, Pryor or wherever they lived.

Family was always the light of his life. Through three generations he had so many good memories and also some very sad ones, always thankful to God for what they had been given.

John is survived by his wife Joy, one son John Duayne and wife Rita, one daughter Julie Renae Stricklen and husband Gary. Three granddaughters - Jenny Carrillo and husband Adrian, Samantha Parker and husband Tommy, Jessica Rousseau and husband Luc. One grandson - Brock Stricklen and wife Senecca. Eleven great-grandchildren and brothers Bob Mozingo and George Mozingo.

He was preceded in death by his grandson Joshua Mozingo, parents Earl and Ethel Mozingo, four sisters- Eliza Thomas, Mary Gifford, Earline Herd, Betty Haley, and one infant brother, Virgil.

A memorial service for John will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, July 24, 2023, at Grace Life Church in Pryor with his son, John Mozingo officiating. To leave his family a message, please visit his guestbook at www.shipmansfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Shipman's Funeral & Cremation Service of Pryor.