Graveside Services were held at 10:30 am Tuesday in Oakhaven Memorial Gardens and a Memorial Service was held at 2:30 the same day in Ascension Church in Skiatook, where he was an active member.

The son of Arthur and Jeanette Webster, Al was born January 23, 1966, and attended Claremore schools, where he began playing in band as a fifth grader and continued through high school. He palyed numerous instruments including drums, clarinet, and guitar. He played football, qualified for state championships as a wrestler, and served as senior representative to student council. He was a member of the Olympics of the Mind team and received honorable mention as a National Merit Scholar.

A 1984 graduate of Claremore High School, Al was an Eagle Scout and was an active member of the First United Methodist Church where he sang in the choir during his high school years.

He attended Oklahoma City University on a scholarship, graduating in 1990 with a bachelor of arts degree in religion. He received awards as an artist while attending college and was also newsletter editor for the United Methodist Fellowship. He was involved in a Christian rock ministry, Distant Friends.

Al was self-employed as a computer artist and designer. In addition to designs for the Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages, he had recently worked to preserve the Native American languages on the computer.

The Cherokee Tribal Newsletter is printed on software he designed. It was his goal to preserve Native American languages in Oklahoma, and he was developing a talking dictionary for that purpose.

Survivors are his parents, Arthur and Jeanette Webster of Claremore; brothers and their wives, Clifton and Lisa Webster of Crowley, Texas, and Andrew and Karia Webster of Claremore; maternal grandmother, Hortense Gall of Claremore; and three nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Running Strong for American Indian Youth, a project of Christian relief services, at 124 Pecos Street, or P.O. Box 670, Raton, N.M. 87740-0670, the Lions Club Boys Home at Perkins through any Will Rogers Lions Club member, or to a favorite charity.

I want to express my appreciation to Dean Hartshorne (RyobiRnnr@aol.com) for informing me of Al's passing, and to Karen at the Claremore Daily Progress, for faxing me their front page story and obituary notice so that I could put together this tribute to Al Webster.

We will miss you, Al.

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