Elizabeth June Rives Drabek was born on June 18, 1935 to Claude Green Rives and Hannah Lynn Rives in St. Louis, Oklahoma. She passed away on December 15, 2016 after a short illness. June’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was steadfast and true.
As the youngest of three children, June enjoyed growing up with her brother Charles on the Rives family farm in Washington, Oklahoma. She remained forever proud of her McLain County roots. June never knew her older sister, Evelyn, as she died before June was born. At age nine, June lost her mother. Her father later remarried and June developed a close bond with her stepmother, Jewel. They lovingly called each other “Sister,” and June often reflected on what a huge blessing from God Jewel had been in her life.
Upon graduation from Washington High School, June moved to Oklahoma City to work for Southwestern Bell. Shortly thereafter, she met her future husband, Elmer John “E.J.” Drabek. They married at her “homeplace” in Washington, and were together in marriage for almost 49 years. To their union, four children were born: Claude, Kathy, Beverly and Charlotte.
June’s Christian faith was the foundation of her life. She and E.J. began attending Crown Heights Baptist Church shortly after their marriage. At Crown Heights, they made professions of faith and were baptized on the same Sunday, one after the other. The family moved their membership to Nichols Hills Baptist Church in 1969 (now Quail Springs Baptist Church), where June remained a loyal member until her death.
In 1961, E.J. founded Drabek & Hill, Inc. Together with his partner, Jackie Hill, the business experienced significant growth. June penned the now famous Drabek & Hill jingle and had it recorded in Nashville. Phrases such as ‘beat around the bush’ and ‘we give it to you straight, we make your time worthwhile’ were classic June Drabek sayings. To this day, the jingle and the phrase “often imitated, never duplicated” remain well known throughout Oklahoma.
June loved to encourage, give gifts, and provide opportunities to others. Education was important to June, and it was a source of pride that she and E.J. were among the founding families of Heritage Hall School. June believed in prayer, and she was faithful to pray for those in need. Starting with her lifelong high school friends, June continued to add to her long list of friends through church and her affiliations with her antique club, Daughters of the American Revolution, En Ami Book Review Club, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Rotary Anns, and the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary. June and E.J. were blessed to travel the world together.
June was predeceased by her husband, E.J., her daughter, Beverly, and her parents; two siblings, Evelyn Rives and Charles Rives, and sweet stepsister, Imogene Thompson. She is survived by three children and their spouses, Claude and Patti Drabek, Kathy and Ed Farrow, and Charlotte and Brian Mitchell; seven grandchildren, Jonathan Drabek, Megan Brummell, Rachel Bennett, Cassandra Barragree, Phoebe Mitchell, Chaz Farrow and Rives Mitchell; four great-grandchildren, Layla Brummell, Julie Ann Farrow, Logan Drabek, Asher Fitzgerald and Elliot Brummell; her dear cousin Roger Weghorst and wife Linda, and her beloved stepbrother and wife, John and Dee Pace as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Viewing will be on Monday, December 19, 2016 from 12-8 p.m., and the family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m. at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper. Funeral Services will be held at Quail Springs Baptist Church, 14613 N. May Avenue in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 1 p.m. with Burial to follow at the Yukon Cemetery. Any memorials are suggested to be made to the Benevolence Fund at Quail Springs Baptist Church.
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