Dorothy Helen Hager Sisson
1923-2016
Dorothy Helen Hager Sisson, age 92, of Edmond Oklahoma, died on September 15th, 2016. She was born on a farm in Washita County, Oklahoma near Elk City on October 4th, 1923 and was the eldest of two children born to Byron M. & Mary E. Hager. After graduation from Elk City High School in 1941, she earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in 1945 from Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University. Her first job was teaching music in Elk City Public Schools, where she taught for two years. She then earned a Master of Musicology degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music while serving as the Assistant to the Dean of Women. In 1948,she met and married Jack Ulness Sisson, who was also a student at the Conservatory. While working on her degree there, she also taught at the Cincinnati Junior Conservatory and in the Cincinnati Public Schools.
When she and Jack each completed their Master’s Degrees in 1950, they moved to Edmond, Oklahoma where Jack became the band director for the Edmond Public Schools. Dorothy devoted her time to their family and taught private piano lessons in their home until 1966 when she took a position teaching 5th grade for the Edmond Public Schools. She taught at Ida Freeman Elementary until 1970 and then transferred to Clegern Elementary to teach 6th grade. In 1975, she became the principal at Clegern where she remained until her retirement in 1987.
She is survived by her son & daughter-in-law, B. David & LeAnna Sisson of Norman, Oklahoma; her daughter, Linda B. Fieth of Edmond, Oklahoma; granddaughter and husband, Cory & Russell Punto of Norman, Oklahoma; granddaughters Elizabeth Sisson, Megan Sisson and Emma Sisson of Norman, Oklahoma; grandsons, Seth Fieth of Stroud, OK, Dylan Fieth and wife Ashley Fieth of Edmond, Oklahoma; grandson, Lance Sisson of Norman, Oklahoma: and great grandson, Jack Punto of Norman, Oklahoma. Also surviving her is her niece, Mary Beth Hager Kilhoffer and her family of Elk City, Oklahoma; nephew, Danny Hager and his family of Elk City, Oklahoma; and nephew, Ken Hager and his family of Jackson, Mississippi.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Jack Sisson, her parents, Byron & Mary Hager, and her brother and sister-in-law, K.E. & Betty Hager.
Services will be held on September 22nd, 2016 at 10 o’clock a.m. at the First Christian Church of Edmond with burial at Gracelawn Cemetary, also in Edmond, Oklahoma. Arrangements are under the direction of Matthews Funeral Home, 601 S. Kelly, Edmond, Ok, 73003. Public visitation to be held at Matthews Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 21st, from 1:00-8:00 p.m.
A memorial fund for a media center at Clergern Elementary has been set up in Dorothy Sisson’s name. To contribute, please make checks payable to Clegern School and mark for Media Center/Mrs. Sisson, and mail to Clegern Elementary School 601 S. Jackson St, Edmond Ok 73034.