David Catron said she had a language all her own.

“Police de-paht-munt” was a familiar sound when Madell Henderson answered the phone for more than three decades at the Kingfisher Police Department.

“She sort of had her own words for everything,” said Catron, the current Kingfisher police chief who is among countless KPD officers who were “broke in” by Henderson, the longtime dispatcher and records clerk.

Henderson died on Jan. 1 and was put to rest on Thursday, receiving a full police escort.

Also passing last week was David Inge.

A longtime Center of Family Love resident, Inge was one of - if not the most - recognizable Okarche sports fans for more than 35 years.

Inge passed away Thursday morning after battling an illness.

He survived a similar battle at the end of 2022 and beginning of last year.

Happy to see their favorite fan in the stands, he was presented a special-made quilt before a home basketball game.

It was crafted by the Okarche Sisterhood of Quilters from Okarche basketball t-shirts.

He had his own VIP seat - front and center - with his name engraved on it in the Okarche High School gym.

“David has had an amazing life,” his sister, Diana Luber, told the Times & Free Press last year. “I’ve always said the Lord works in amazing ways and David is one of them.”

Said Okarche Police Chief Forrest Smith on the department’s Facebook page: “David’s unwavering dedication to our town, his selflessness and his tireless commitment to making Okarche a better place for all of us made him a true hero in our eyes.”

Whether a player, assistant coach or head coach, Haley Mitchel spent nearly two decades as part of the Lady Warriors basketball program. Inge was there for every bit of it.

“Our hearts are broken losing David. Loyal and devoted to the purple and gold, David was always there to wish you luck, provide you with a pep talk, celebrate the accomplishments and achievements, and even build you up when your head was down,” Mitchel said.

“He relished and understood that small town sports teams were bigger than just the players and coaches. He knew it was an entire community coming together to support and believe in one another.

“David’s love for our kids, coaches, and community will be felt forever and never forgotten. Knowing him and having him a part of my life is an everlasting blessing.”

As she’s done most every year since retiring, Henderson attended the city’s annual Christmas party last month.

And, like every year, Henderson wanted to make her rounds and visit every table.

“She always wanted to hug everyone and was happy to see everyone,” Catron said.

And she wanted to listen. “She really wanted to hear your story. She asked how your day was or what was going on and she meant it.

“She looked you in the eye and she cared about you.”

Catron said he could count on one hand the times he saw Henderson “truly mad or upset.”

“She always had a smile and was always happy to see you,” he said.

Henderson started at the KPD long before computers were brought into action.

“Everything was done on a 3x5 card with a typewriter at her desk,” Catron said. “She had quite the card system.... one that she started herself.”

Henderson recently recalled with Catron that she’d worked with more officers and chiefs than she could remember.

“I started with her some 28 years ago,” he said. “She broke most of the officers in. She had her own way, she didn’t have much of a filter and she had her own words for everything.

“She was her own woman.”

And, he added, she was “a special lady.”

“She truly cared about her police family and was always there for everyone,” Catron said, adding that she always lived with a smile.

“You just didn’t ever catch her having a bad day.”