Doris Lee Crain

Doris Lee (Wingate) Crain, 96, of Highland, Utah, and formerly from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, died peacefully in her sleep on February 7, 2026.

Doris was born on July 17, 1929 in Yellville, Arkansas to Velcy Mildred Wingate (“Mimi”) and John Burton Wingate (“Pepaw”). Doris’s little sister – and best forever-friend – LouAnnis (Wingate) Kelley, of Mountain Home, Arkansas, survives her.

In their hometown of Yellville and at their local high school (Yellville/Summit), Doris Lee and Lou Annis were “Queen” of everything: Homecoming Queen; Prom Queen; FFA; and Queens of various local parades. Their legendary status in the community has lasted many, many years – so much so that people many decades their junior had heard of the two beauties who lived in their two-story clapboard house on the border of Yellville and Summit.

Their upbringing in the majestic green hills of North Arkansas was magical, filled with float trips on the Buffalo River, horseback rides, fishing in the crystal-clear creeks and rivers, and charming all the local boys.

One boy in particular, Robert Eugene Crain (“Bobby” Guyton) arrived in Fifth Grade and lassoed Doris’s heart while twirling a cowboy rope for show-and-tell. Bob and Doris courted on horseback and exchanged many poetic love letters during their long courtship.

In the days before universal telephones and television, Doris was the original “Amber”alert in North Arkansas. She left Bob’s house too late one evening, and Bob let her ride Babe, his jealous bay horse home. Babe threw Doris, and she hit her head on a rock and was knocked unconscious. Babe cantered back to Bob, but was too soon returned and Bob knew something was wrong. The county started a search for Doris and she was finally found, in a daze, and still very much in love with Bob. Babe ended up in a bottle of Elmer’s Glue.

Doris and Bob started their family in Arkansas and finished having their 6 children in Oklahoma City.

Doris and Bob’s children – and surviving family – are: Stephen Earle (deceased, 2022) and Rosanna Crain of Alpine, Utah; Sheryl Anne and Michael Dewey of Chico, California; Robert David (“Bobby”) and Mary Elizabeth Crain of Mustang, Oklahoma; George Burton (“Buddy”) and Debra Crain of Highland, Utah; Sandra Jeanne and Christian Lambour Anderson of Stanwood, Washington; and Michael Lee and Stephanie Eileen Crain of Tomball, Texas.

Doris is also survived by twenty-nine grandchildren, thirty-eight great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Doris worked primarily as an administrative assistant at various banks in the Oklahoma City area. She spent many years as the admin to the executive Vice President for Liberty National Bank in downtown OKC, and then as a Human Resources admin for Friendly National Bank in South OKC. She loved both positions and those who worked with her loved her in return.

Everywhere Doris worked, she made life-long friends. Until later years, she stayed in contact with those friends through letters and postcards. She kept – and cherished – all the return letters and cards. After the advent of social media, she was able to find and correspond with many more life-long friends. Her friendships were long lasting and deep. She counted her friends (and family) as her most prized possessions in life.

Doris became a diligent genealogist in the 1960s and traced our Family line back many, many generations. As missionaries for the Mormon church in 1999, she and Bob went to Salt Lake City to help in the church Genealogy Library. While there, a tornado swept through downtown Salt Lake, and because they were from Oklahoma, Doris and Bob were blamed for it.

Doris will be remembered for her kindness, her generosity, and her genuine goodness. No person ever left her home without a take-away meal, or a bag full of snacks, or just a couple of twenty-dollar bills to stop and buy yourself a drive-thru meal. She always had some thing to give away, whether it was a treasured picture album, an heirloom pillow, or part of one of her famous collections.

If you asked any of Doris’s grandchildren what they remember best about her, they’ll say: her meals, and especially her breakfasts. Scratch biscuits, pan-made sausage gravy, flour-and-sugar coated bacon, some mysterious thing she did to eggs that no one has been able to replicate…. Everything was beyond delicious – and wildly healthy! You never walked away from “Nanaw’s” table without a huge smile on your face!

After Bob passed away in 2007, Doris found a new best friend, Lucy the Wonder Dog. Michael gave Lucy to Doris and forever after they were inseparable. Lucy was a Chinese Pug, about the size of a football, and had a snort that you could hear from down the street. Lucy had her own spots everywhere around Doris’s world – on the couch, in the car, at the dinner table, in her bed, and especially in Doris’s heart. When Lucy passed away, it was a devastating moment for Doris – she had lost her best friend a second time.

Doris and Bob loved to travel during both their working years and after retirement. On many occasions, Bob would say: “Doris, get packed. We’re going to Arkansas!” And the next morning they would wake up in Yellville or Mountain Home. They loved their trips together and made many cruises and long-distance road trips that created the memories of a lifetime.

As did their love for each other. They suffered many hardships, weathered many storms, and attained much success together with grace and a love that never faltered –not even a little bit.

The eternities are now Doris and Bob’s courtship realm and with all their family and friends – and yes, Chinese Pugs and errant ponies – their love will continue to shine as an example and a true North Star forevermore.

Funeral: February 21, 2026 at 1:00 pm.

Location: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (old 2nd Ward Building), 2440 Southwest 55th Street, OKC 73119 

Graveside Service: February 21, 2026 at 10:00 am. Resthaven Cemetery 500 Southwest 104th Street; OKC 73139