Naomi Elaine Boggs

Naomi Elaine Boggs, lovingly called “Momo” by her grandchildren and great grandchildren, left this earth on August 28, 2021. 

Naomi, age 94, was the fifth of five siblings born to Charlie and Josie (Adkins) Barnett. She was born at home on their farm near Kinta, Oklahoma, on May 30, 1927. 

She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Jay Boggs, her daughters Nancy Lang of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and her twelve year daughter, Janet; her siblings Mary Jo Snow of Kinta, Oklahoma, Ada McBride of Stigler, Oklahoma, Lucy Ann Terpening of Paris, Texas, and one brother, Jones Barnett of Kinta, Oklahoma. 

She grew up carefree to play and explore the land around her, running back and forth down the dusty lane to her Aunt Belle’s home, where she would more than likely be treated to chocolate pie or hot biscuits and sugar syrup. She spent most of her early childhood in the fields with her dad and uncle, playing in the furrows of cotton and corn, or on the banks of San Boise creek waiting for a chance to ride one of the old horses back home. She was blessed with loving parents and a home full of warmth, love, laughter, music and poetry. 

She could recite long, beautiful poems from her childhood and she learned to play the piano by ear, taught herself to read music, and enjoyed playing her entire life. School was a five mile walk from home, over a narrow swinging bridge, through fields of tall johnsongrass that seemed to always to be wet from the morning dew, then onto the hot and dusty, or cold and muddy lane. Always wet and always cold, she did her best to attend every day. She loved school, especially her English classes where she enjoyed her love of literature. 

Naomi married her childhood best friend and the love of her life, Jay Boggs, not long after he returned from World War II. They fell in love dancing each evening to Glen Miller’s, “Star Dust.” It was the last song she played on the piano before she passed away. 

On July 18, 1946, they began their lives together and were inseparable until his death in 2000. They were blessed with three daughters, Nancy Elaine Lang, Janet Sue Boggs, and Joanna Wilson. Their middle daughter, Janet, was born with cystic fibrosis. Through years of sleepless nights and worry, the love, faith and strength of Naomi and Jay kept the stress of a very sick daughter to themselves and would not let their heartache destroy a happy environment for their family. 

Years later and long before the internet and automated libraries, Naomi began a five year search to trace her family roots. She wrote countless letters to libraries across the country. 

She visited families, traveled to other states and explored old cemeteries to learn about her roots. She loved history and loved learning about her ancestors. To her, they seemed to come alive with each piece of information she gathered. With three different documents proving her relationship to each generation, she and her daughters became members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a great accomplishment and a great honor, even though finding her roots was the only honor for which she was searching. Naomi was always busy working in her garden, taking care of her beloved dogs and horses, mowing and anything else that needed to be done. 

At 90 years of age, she even helped paint the exterior of her barn. She seldom stopped, but when she did have time, she loved reading books, sewing and making beautiful quilts. Her hands were never idle, as she’s said so often, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” 

Naomi is survived by many loving family members, including her daughter, Joanna Wilson and her husband, Bill, of Oklahoma City, son-in-law Jim Lang, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, one granddaughter, Sandy Kelly and her husband, Blake, of Oklahoma City, one grandson Barry Carter and his wife, Marie, of Moore Oklahoma, great granddaughter, Sydney Schafer, of Oklahoma City and great grandsons, Jett Schafer, Oklahoma City, Brooks Carter, Moore, Oklahoma, Blake Carter and his wife, Megan, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tanner, Travis, Trevor and Tyler Kelly, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.. Only recently was she blessed with her first great, great grandson, Beau Carter, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Naomi was a loving, gentle soul who cared deeply for all living creatures, who was touched by the simple beauty and wonder of nature, and whose laughter and beautiful smile were infectious. 

She was a Once in a Lifetime Kind of Person. Services for Naomi will be held in the Methodist Church at Quinton, Oklahoma, at 2   p.m. on Sunday, Sept.12.