Lori Anne Bateman

Lori Anne Bateman was born on 08/31/1956, at Hillcrest Hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma, to parents Jesse June (Cooper) Bateman and Cleo Leon Bateman. Her maternal grandparents were Pauline (Squires) and Ardie Cooper.

Lori had six siblings: Don Leon Bateman, of Ohio, deceased Diane (Bateman) Baker, of McKinney, Texas. Bruce Arthur Bateman, of Tulsa, deceased Lance Batemen, of Honolulu, Hawaii. Susan Lee (Bateman) Newton, of Tulsa. Jack Devereaux Bateman, of Monroe, Louisiana.

Lori was blessed with a son, Jason Mark Farmer and wife Jennifer, of Newcastle, Oklahoma, and two grandchildren, Madison and Ian Farmer.

Lori went to school in Tulsa, graduating from Central High School. With her long lean stature, she was a natural runner and excelled at that sport. She was also a wonderful dancer and enjoyed dancing throughout her life. She also loved horses, and was an expert equestrian, taking riding lessons for years. When a little girl, if you asked Lori the typical question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?" you got an un-typical answer. Lori’s response was always “I want to be a horse!”

Lori’s first husband was Gilbert Mark Farmer, and their union produced their darling boy, Jason Farmer. When the marriage ended, Lori raised Jason as a single mom. Times were tough, but Lori loved her son and did her very best to support him and provide him a loving home.

With her savvy and skills, Lori finally landed a great position with Hewlett Packard, where she worked for many years, until an inherited disease, commonly referred to as “Merrf’s Syndrome,” rendered her unable to work. Merrf is a rare mitochondrial disease which affects approximately 1 in 5000 people, is progressive and there is no known cure. There are only 60 families in the USA that have Merrf, and 400 families worldwide.

In 2000, Lori met her future, in the form of Neal William (Bud) York. When Bud saw Lori sitting there, he knew Lori was the one for him. Love blossomed, and resulted in a lasting relationship.

Bud was a skilled motorcycle mechanic and his positions with shops in Tulsa, Tyler, Texas and Colorado Springs, Colorado, took them on some exciting journeys. Lori also managed a resort area while in Tyler. If you wanted to get something done, you “saw Lori.” Bud finally settled in Collinsville, Oklahoma, and opened his own shop, Bud York Cycles, and Bud and Lori became fixtures in Collinsville society.

Bud played in several country and western bands, and Lori was always there, enjoying the music, dancing and socializing with friends.

When Lori’s mother, living in Tulsa, was in the last phases of Merrf Syndrome, Lori was diligent in providing care for her until she passed. Then Bud’s mother started suffering from a terminal illness, and Lori again stepped up to care for her, providing much of the home care and companionship during some very difficult years. This care was consistently provided although Lori had many challenges and health issues of her own.

Bud and Lori loved to travel and shared many adventures together. Just a few of the fun places they went: Pioneer Village, Minden, NE; Shreveport, LA; Sturgis, SD; Daytona Beach, FL; Milwaukee, WI; Colorado Springs and Lake City, CO; New Fountain, TX, which is a charming ghost town.

But some of the best trips were trips to Oklahoma City to visit her son Jason and wife Jennifer, and see the grandchildren, Madison and Ian. Madison excelled in volleyball, while Ian loved soccer. Bud and Lori both treasured the grandchildren and mentioning them always brought a sparkle to Lori’s eyes.

The last 4 or 5 years of Lori’s life were a struggle, battling the effects of her disease. She exhibited extraordinary strength and courage, and throughout the ordeal, was always smiling and a joy to be around. She finally succumbed while in hospice care at home.

Lori’s life was marked by love, courage, resilience, and caring for others. She will be sorely missed and lovingly remembered by all who shared life’s journey with her. She never had a bad word to say about anybody; she accepted and loved them as they were, which is very unusual in this world.

Her favorite bible verse was always David’s 23rd Psalm, which concludes with “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Services are pending at this time.