In Memory

Arlen Keith Wiens passed away peacefully at Journey Home Hospice on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. He was born in Hutchison, Kansas on August 8, 1953, to Elmer P. Wiens and Olivia Ruth (Reimer) Wiens. He attended Inman High School, 1 year at Hutchinson Junior College, and graduated with a Degree in Construction Technology in 1975.

Ron Fleming, a former Tulsa commercial artist-turned-woodturner whose highly prized sculptures can be found in museums and art collections worldwide, died Dec. 6 at his home in Boyd, Texas. He was 84.

A Tulsa memorial event for Fleming will be held at a time and date to be determined, family members said.
Hailed as a master of the age-old craft of turning wood on a lathe, Fleming, whose works sold for thousands of dollars, has pieces in the permanent collections of various museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C.
He also has a sculpture in the permanent art collection of the White House, where it once was part of a temporary exhibit celebrating American craft.
An ambassador for woodturning as an art form, Fleming helped raise its profile as a frequent speaker at seminars and lectures and a leader in wood art organizations.
But before all of that, he made a name for himself in commercial art.
Fleming owned and operated Graphic Associates in downtown Tulsa for a number of years. He won countless industry awards while building up a client list ranging from Fortune 500 companies to the Air Force and Navy. He continued to handle projects for major national clients even after switching his focus to wood.
Fleming moved out of downtown when he established Hearthstone Studios.
A former municipal incinerator tucked away in the woods along a north Tulsa creek, it was a project in itself for him. He and his wife, Patti Fleming, also an artist, bought the abandoned facility and began renovations, taking a year to shovel out tons of accumulated ash. Hearthstone would eventually be transformed into a home and studio for the couple and was once featured on HGTV.
As both an illustrator and woodcarver, Fleming prided himself on being largely self-taught. His appreciation for wood, he said, came from his grandfather, who was a craftsman. Fleming’s own approach to the craft meant never carving himself into a corner. “I’m always moving,” he told the Tulsa World once. “There’s no challenge in doing something twice. Art is pushing yourself, taking failure and learning and pushing onward for new achievements.”
Fleming was a founding member of the American Association of Woodturners and a longtime board member of what is now the Center for Art in Wood. He was presented the AAW’s POP Merit Award in 2017 in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
Fleming was preceded in death by his wife, Patti.
Survivors include his children, Randall Fleming, Tamara Scott and Todd Fleming; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were handled by Alexander’s Midway Funeral Home in Springtown, Texas.

Memorial donations may be made in Fleming’s name to the American Association of Woodturners or The Nature Conservancy.

Robert Fulton, Jr.
December 7, 1922 - December 23, 2021

Robert “Bob” Fulton was born on December 17, 1922, outside of Titusville, Pennsylvania to Robert Sr and Blanche Susan Fulton. He had two older brothers, Ivan and Charles, two younger brothers, Jackie and Thomas “Skippy”, an older sister, Ruth “Pat” who all have preceded him in death.  He has one younger sister Shirley, who lives in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Robert’s wife, Arleeta, and older son John David also preceded him in death several years ago. Robert is survived by his younger son, Robert III (Cheryl) three grandchildren, Joshua (Kasha), Kathryn (Patrick) and Alison along with two great-grandsons, Hayden and Brennan and his fiancee' Rose Corey.

Robert moved at the age of 6 with his parents and siblings from Titusville, PA to eastern Oklahoma. In those early years, they lived in Fort Gibson, Gore and Webbers Falls, OK. His father followed work opportunities as an electrician across the oil fields of Oklahoma, leading the family to Guthrie and then back to the Muskogee area. He loved to tell stories of working with his father laying electrical systems for dams, schools, and commercial buildings. He struggled with school but at his mother’s insistence finished his high school education. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from Oklahoma City University. He then struck out to learn a machinist’s trade in Seattle, WA with several friends from Oklahoma, all looking to find work.

World War II drew him and two of his brothers into the military, into what he frequently commented on as being one of the greatest honors of his life. Serving in a U.S. Army ordinance support unit in Europe and the Pacific, Robert was eventually assigned to a unit in post-war Japan outside of Osaka.

Following the war, Robert began a career with the Veterans Administration as an X-Ray technician. His career in X-Ray technology began in the late 1940’s in Muskogee, Oklahoma and moved to several positions in Tulsa, OK and Wichita, KS. He spent almost 10 years at Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City as Chief X-Ray Technician and was in charge of a technician training program as well as the start of new radiation therapy treatment programs. He finished his career at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, OK retiring with almost 50 years in the field of x-ray technology.

He spent many years and had many friends in the local Wood Workers and Wood-Turners organizations and was known for his wood turning projects.

Robert was a long-time member of Heritage United Methodist Church in Broken Arrow, OK where he had a number of very good friends.

Danny Borrell, was a long-time member of NEOWTA and known for freely giving of his talents to anyone who asked.  You might get a piece or two of wood along with the help.

Bob Hawks, long time NEOWTA member.

Robert Hawks, Jr. of Tulsa, Oklahoma passed away peacefully at home on June 14, 2021.  Bob was born May 10, 1920, to Robert and Florence Moser Hawks on the family farm west of Hiawatha, Kansas.  

Bob is survived by his wife, Janet Shipley Hawks, his son Lee Alan Hawks and his wife, Jacqueline Hawks, his daughter Kathleen Hawks, four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Bob graduated from Hiawatha High School and attended Highland Junior
College until his National Guard Unit was nationalized in 1940.  After five years of active duty he settled in Los Angeles and enrolled in the Art Center to study photography.  During his active duty he had admired, befriended and quizzed Army photographers on  where was the best place to learn photography.  The Los Angeles Art Center always was on the top of the list.  While waiting for his application to be accepted at the Art Center he worked for RCA records first pressing vinyl records and then in the studio where he recorded many famous voices.

After three intense years of study he headed east, stopped in Tulsa and never left.  He built his first lab in a storage space in the basement of an apartment building in downtown Tulsa - his first residence in Oklahoma.  In 1950 he purchased a two-story residence on Main Street in downtown Tulsa where he lived and converted the lower level to a studio.  He remained there until 1967 when he bought the Crawford Drug property at 1345 E 15^th where he built a new studio and lab..  That was at the beginning of the resurgence on Cherry Street.  His client list included PSO, Telex, SSC,  Zebco, Lowrance, Oral Roberts, Refinery Engineers, Daisy-Heddon, Texaco, Standard Oil of Illinois, Sun Oil, Citgo, several engineering and architectural firms along with dozens of smaller companies that helped fill in the gaps.  He soon realized it was necessary for him to be able to travel to successfully service his clients.  In 1950 he was able to obtain his private pilot's license, thanks to the GI bill which had also helped him with his schooling at the Art Center.  Early in his career he began a long and stimulating association with Meredith Publishing which generated over half the income during the last 15 years he owned the company.

In 1985 the company was sold to Gene Johnson, a long time employee who brought his son into the business.  Unfortunately Gene passed away but, his son, Scott Johnson, continues to run Hawks Photography.

Following his retirement from photography Bob became enthralled with woodturning and had another career related to that “hobby” which he relished.  In 2020 he was honored with an exhibit of both his photography and woodturning at the 108 Contemporary Gallery in Tulsa.

Bob also spent many years as a volunteer on the front desk at St John Medical Center.

At his request there will be no services but on his next (102nd) birthday his ashes will be scattered by the big white rock above the pond on the farm in northeastern Kansas where he was born and raised.

The family would like to request that any memorials be directed to the Northeast Oklahoma Woodturners (NEOWTA) Bob Hawks Memorial Fund.  He was a founder of this organization and his decades-long commitment was deeply appreciated by the Club, a 501 (c)(3) educational nonprofit.  All donated funds will be placed in the building fund and applied to future property improvements to the building and grounds.  He was especially interested in the Club being able to construct a paved parking lot beside the building.    Donations should be made out to NEOWTA noting that the purpose is to recognize Bob Hawks and sent to:

Phillip Buchman, NEOWTA Treasurer
5344 S 73^rd E. Ave
Tulsa, OK  74145
(918) 210-5013
Treasurer@neowta.com
pjbuchman.pjb@protonmail.com