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John Denbo & Family
John Olen Denbo, youngest child of Oce and Dora Denbo, was born 20 Dec. 1924 in Claremore. He graduated Claremore High School in 1943 and Oklahoma University with a degree in business in 1950. His education also includes graduate work at O.U. in 1958, special courses at New York University in 1959, 1961, and 1970, and a Dale Carnegie Sales Course.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 5 July 1943 to 20 Nov 1945 and from August 1950 to February 1952.
He married Bobby Jean Vessels May 28, 1954, she passed
away Nov. 3, 1955. They had a daughter Jana Janelle,
born Nov. 2, 1955.
John re-married June 17, 1961 to Bernice Beck
Thompson, born 10-9-25, first husband Lonnie William
Thompson passed away June, 1956. They adopted Greg
Goyer in 1964.
Jana married David Smith in Feb. 1984, they have 3
children, Crystal, Justin and Jordan. She divorced
David 2 years ago.
Greg married Angela Blythe, they had 2 children, Tyson
and Julie. They divorced and his second wife, Janet
Alexander, they had l son Trenton Kyle Denbo and they
are divorced.
Since 1954, John has owned and operated Denbo’s Jewelers. He opened the Wigwam Chicken Hut and Trading Post in 1955.
At OU, he was a member and president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and also served as rush chairman, social chairman, and house manager.
Since graduation, he has served the fraternity as president of the alumni association, editor of the quarterly newsletter, and as regional alumni adviser for the national chapter. He received the Outstanding Alumni for the first 25 years of the OU Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter.
Active in Claremore civic work, he has served as president of the Jaycees, the Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador Club, the Retail Merchants Association, and the Ne-Mar Merchants Association. He was founder and first president of the University of Oklahoma Alumni Association of Rogers County, president of Oklahoma Retail Jewelers and National Retail Jewelers Association. He founded the Claremore Tourist Association and served as president several terms. He is also past president of the Optimist Club.
John served as general chairman of the Will Rogers Rodeo Committee, chairman of the First Methodist Church budget committee and new building committee, and as a board member of the Claremore Industrial Authority.
He was named to the Will Rogers Memorial Commission in 1979, and was once on the board of directors for Rogers County Bank.
