Eileen Bliss Darnell

May 5, 1916 - March 24, 2006

Eileen, daughter of Jim and Opal Bliss, was born May 5, 1916, in Woods County, Oklahoma. She passed away peacefully at the Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso, Texas, on March 24 at the age of 90. She lived throughout her childhood on a ranch near Lookout, Oklahoma. From the time that she could first ride a horse, her best memories come from time she spent working cattle with her father. Eileen was home schooled by her mother for three years. After completing her home-schooling, Eileen went on to attend school in a one-room school house in Lookout. She quickly advanced through the school system in Lookout and was always proud of the fact that she had ridden her horse to and from school. Another one of her fondest memories was the rare occasion when she was able to ride her Father's horse, Rowdy, to school. During the Depression, Eileen lived with a family friend in Alva, Oklahoma while she attended high school and college. She started high school at the age of 13 and graduated at the age of 16. Because of the impact that the Dust Bowl had on cattle prices, money her mother made selling eggs from the hens helped to pay for Eileen to attend both high school and college. Eileen also worked to try to make ends meet. Eileen earned her Bachelor's degree from Northwestern State Teachers College at the age of 19 and later became certified and licensed as a medical technologist. Eileen moved back to the ranch where she began teaching at Coy School, a one-room school. She also coached the wrestling team to the Oklahoma small school State Championship. Eileen was accepted to medical school in the late '30's, but passed up on that rare opportunity to marry Victor Lee Darnell and begin raising a family. Eileen's greatest loves were her children, her grandchildren and the ranch where she and her beloved sister Lois were raised. After her father passed away, she made sure that she kept the brand alive and in the family passing on its legacy to one of her grandchildren. The J- Brand initially registered by her father, Jim Bliss, has been in use continuously since the opening of the Cherokee Strip in 1893. Eileen is survived by two sons and their wives, Jim and Sue Darnell, and Eric and Ann Darnell; a sister and her husband Lois and Frank Layton; five grandchildren, Jeep, Ryan, Jake, Tiffy and Eric Darnell. In her later years, these grandchildren were the apples of her eye and she followed their many accomplishments with great pride until the very end. PDF Printable Version