Doris Louise (Heldenbrand) Plume

Doris Louise (Heldenbrand) Plume died on June 5 in Pensacola, FL. She was 96. The great-granddaughter of homesteaders staking out farmland in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1893, and the daughter of Quality Bakery owners O.J. and Louise Heldenbrand, Doris was raised with a strong moral compass and an affinity for things natural.

A native of Watonga, Oklahoma, Doris graduated high school in 1945 with honors, then spent two years at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, before finishing her B.A. in radio journalism at the University of Oklahoma in 1949. At OU, Doris was society editor of the student paper Oklahoma Daily. She also was active in Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, where she was named Pi Kappa Alpha Dreamgirl and Oklahoma Maid of Cotton. After working at WKY radio in Oklahoma City, Doris married John E. Plume.

The couple raised three children while moving to seven cities in 10 years with the JC Penney Co. They settled in Dallas, Texas in 1961, where Doris would remain for the better part of nearly 60 years.

Doris was devoted to her faith, her family, her gardening and her volunteer work. She volunteered at her church, for the Boy and Girl Scouts, the American Red Cross, and for the National Organization for Women. She was an unwavering source of support for her children, whom she tutored in the Golden Rule, kindness to all living things, the piano and weed pulling. She also adored her grandchildren, and shared many happy moments such as exploring the night sky.

She is survived by her daughters Janet Plume and Susan Enk; grandchildren Alison Weaver and Preston Plume; great-grandson Carson Weaver; nephew Jeffrey Heldenbrand, and nieces Beth Hardin, Laurie Harwell and Tami Parisi.

She was preceded in death by her brother Orval J. Heldenbrand, her husband John E. Plume, and her son Mark R. Plume.

A visitation will be held Friday, June 16, from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday June 17 from 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at Wilkinson Mortuary in Watonga, Oklahoma. A celebration of life will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, followed by burial at IOOF.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (https://alzfdn.org)