Sue Eden

Leona Wilma “Sue” Eden passed from this life on May 7th, 2026 in Bartlesville, OK at the age of 93. Sue was born on September 22, 1932 on W. E. Halsell’s Bird Creek Ranch near Owasso, Oklahoma to Mabel Grace Flanders and Clyte Fountain Harlan. From an early age, Sue’s world revolved around horses, cattle and competitive sports and that continued for the rest of her life. Sue graduated from Owasso High School in 1950 and attended Oklahoma A&M (OSU) in Stillwater where she received her BS in Elementary Education in 1954. While at OSU, she was on several championship intermural basketball teams from Willard 3 (traveling collegiate women’s teams hadn’t emerged yet) and she was a stand-out student athlete under Professor “Coach” Valerie Colvin, for whom the Colvin Center is named. Sue also took part in the Block & Bridle Rodeo Club and competed in its on-campus rodeos , as well as being named Block & Bridle Rodeo Queen in 1953. Sue and her roommates/classmates Sally Jones Buxkemper & Nola Mills kept their horses in Stillwater so they could practice and ride around campus, Boomer Lake, Lake Carl Blackwell and beyond.

Shortly after graduation, Sue married John William “Bill” Eden of Lenapah, OK on June 18th, 1954 in Vinita, OK and moved to Ewing Halsell’s Big Creek Ranch east of Lenapah, OK where she lived the rest of her life. When Sue wasn’t teaching school early on (both full-time & substitute teaching at Ideal School and Delaware, OK), she was working cattle, breaking horses and developing her “cowy” line of Quarter Horse broodmares, while incorporating some notable sire bloodlines as well (both Quarter Horse & Thoroughbred). Sue also played on the local competitive basketball and softball teams in the Lenapah area.

In 1963, a daughter, Susan Leona Eden was born. Six weeks later, Sue was catching for her local softball team (although she did say that her legs were pretty sore after that one). Sue continued to play on local teams, raise and teach Susan at home, work cattle and breed and train her horses when she could until Susan was ready for 1st Grade in 1969. Sue taught 5th grade full-time that year in Delaware with Susan attending school there; she and Susan both moved to Lenapah School in 1970 where she remained teaching full-time (and coached HS basketball & softball for a few years) until Susan graduated in 1980. After that, Sue moved over to Wann and taught until she retired in the mid-1980’s to work full-time back at the ranch. As many of you know, Mom was known as one of the tough, old-school teachers but many of her students would later tell me that they were better prepared for college and for life because of it. She expected a lot out of her students but they in turn gave her a lot and she loved seeing them excel in both academics and in life. She was very proud of them but was always thinking of how she could’ve taught them better, even after retirement. She talked about that a lot.

Mom was good at a lot of things…teaching, sports, cooking, sewing…you name it, she could do it and do it well. When it came to her cattle and horses, she was the “real deal” as some have said. In the late 1970’s/early 1980’s, Mom & Dad decided to start incorporating some different genetic components into their cattle. Historically, all the cattle they’d dealt with on the ranch (both theirs and Mr. Halsell’s) were Herefords but with some help from her old college roommate, Sally Buxkemper, Mom began trying other breeds. Early on, there was a brief stint with Charolais, then more exotic and growthy breeds such as Simbrah, then they finally settled on the Sim-Angus cross. Over the years that followed, their cattle became known as having some of the best genetics in the area and they still do. We continue to keep that tradition and reputation alive as we strive for genetic excellence as well. As many of you know, Mom loved her Reds…almost to a fault. In the last couple of years, Reed and I convinced her to go to the “Dark Side” (by buying black Sim-Angus bulls) since genetically superior red bulls became harder and harder to find. Today, we have the best black Sim-Angus bulls we’ve ever had on the ranch; we know Mom was proud of that…except for the color. She’d never let us forget that…

Sally’s daughters Lucy and Ana and I have always joked about our mothers…We always say that “they broke the mold” and they did. They were both pioneers in the cattle business in their own special ways, especially back in the 1950’s when women weren’t necessarily in those type of roles. Mom came from the commercial side, Sally was the registered and AI side. They both set some incredibly high standards and goals for us to measure up to (sometimes seemingly unattainable) but we think we’ve all done pretty well and made our own way in this world. How lucky we were to have them…

Sue saw a lot of change in her 93 years. From hauling water to the hay crews that were still cutting hay with teams and piling the huge haystacks, to watching the industrial revolution unfold with automated rakes and bailers, from small rounds or squares to huge round bales. She was part of the last cattle drive from the Halsell over Hancock Bridge to load the last load of steers at Jackmont in 1965. From helping Paul feed large pastures with a team of mules, a wagon and 1 horse tied to it, to seeing Paul get the first 4-wheel drive truck on the ranch. She saw the end of the Halsell era in ~ 1970 after my Grandfather (Clyte Harlan) and Miss Helen parted ways. From selling steers and heifers only worth a few cents versus the incredibly high market prices we’re seeing now. From seeing the Hereford breed switch to Sim-Angus crosses and everything in between. From pulling calves on almost every heifer until the adoption of the “calving ease” bull concept, the introduction of EPDs and all that goes with genetics and genetics research. She saw all the work that went into the eradication of the screwworm and now the potential reemergence of it…She got to see all that and so much more…She was one of the “last of the last”…I only hope I get to see as much or live as long.

Sue is survived by her daughter Susan and husband Reed of the ranch at Lenapah, Oklahoma and her Grandson Benjamin, wife Whitney and Great-Grandson Silas Gilbert of Nowata, Oklahoma, as well as numerous extended family & friends in the surrounding area and beyond. She was preceeded in death by her parents, Mabel Grace Flanders and Clyte Fountain Harlan of Lenapah, OK, husband Bill Eden of the ranch at Lenapah, and her brother, Clyte K. “Bo” Harlan, of San Antonio TX.

Sue will be buried at the ranch in the family cemetery next to Bill and her parents where they all overlook the land that they worked and loved and where her brother Bo was born (about 1 mile north in the Coker pasture) and where he was buried ~14 years ago.

The family would like to thank the Nowata County Emergency Management Team & Sheriff’s Dept., the Ascension St. John Hospital teams (both Nowata & Bartlesville), Green Country Village Memory Care Unit , the St. Francis Renaissance Unit, Compassus Hospice and The Journey Home for their compassionate and supportive care during this 3 month journey. We also want to thank the entire community for their outpouring of sympathy and support during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Nowata County Emergency Team, Nowata County Sheriff’s Department or The Journey Home in Bartlesville, OK in Sue’s memory.