Jay C. Pinkston

Jay C. Pinkston

Funeral services for Jay C. Pinkston will be held 2:00PM, Monday, Aug 19, 2013 at the Dougherty Baptist Church with Pastor Willard McCartney, Jr. officiating. Interment will follow at the Dougherty Cemetery.
Jay was born June 17, 1919, on Fuller’s ranch near Newcastle, TX, to the late Burr H. & Teresa Francis (Youngblood) Pinkston. He died Thursday, Aug 15, 2013 in Sulphur, at the age 94 years 1 month and 28 days. Jay and Ruby Newby were married on June 6, 1943 in Duncan, AZ. She preceded him in death on Jan 4, 2000, after fifty-six years of marriage. Others preceding him in death include three sisters Opal McCollum, Myrtle Jenkins, and Lela Deel; and two brothers, John and Cas Pinkston.
The Pinkston family moved to Dougherty in 1929. Jay attended school at Dougherty and worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps at three locations including Mayhill, NM, Sulphur and Saratoga, WY.
During WWII, Jay served in the United States Army in Europe with Patton’s Third Army in the 90th Infantry Division, called the “Tough Ombres”, as part of the 358th F Company. He also served in the Big Red One, and at the end of the war he was transferred to the 26th Infantry Division. Jay was an honor guard at General George Patton’s funeral in Belgium. He was one of the military policemen who guarded the Nazi prisoners during the Nuremberg war crimes trial. Jay was a very highly decorated Army veteran and was extremely proud of his service to this great country. He was truly an “American Hero”.
After WWII Jay and Ruby made their home in Morenci, AZ, where he worked in the open-pit copper mine for the Phelps Dodge Corporation. In 1958, the couple returned to Murray County, where he began working as an operating engineer on heavy construction jobs all over the country. During his time working in the copper mines in Arizona, Jay developed an interest in working with silver and turquoise and became a skilled silversmith. In the late 1960’s, he opened Jay’s Gem Shop on Highway 7 between Sulphur and Davis. He later moved his shop to Davis. In 2003, due to failing health, Jay retired and moved from his home in Davis to the Sulphur Veterans Center, where he remained until the time of his death.
Survivors include one son, Donald Jay Pinkston of Dougherty; one daughter, Vickie Jo (Pinkston) McCartney and husband Bill of Davis; one granddaughter, Melissa (McCartney) Price and husband Bo of Ada; one great-grandson, Joe Price; sister, Jewel Carter of Sulphur; brother, George Pinkston of Tucson, AZ, three brothers-in-law, Jr. Williams of St. Louis, OK, Sam Williams of Oklahoma City & George Newby of North Carolina; three sisters-in-law, Mary Jensen of Sulphur, Sue Loahman of Shawnee and Della Gates of North Carolina; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

8/19/2013
02:00 PM

Funeral
Dougherty Baptist Church

Dougherty
OK