Donna Joan Perceful (Murlin), age 83, died August 23, 2024 in Oklahoma City. Funeral services will begin at 10:00 a.m., Friday August 30, 2024 at Eden Chapel United Methodist Church. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.

Donna Joan Murlin was born on February 28, 1941 to Charles Alva Murlin and Dona Rosette Nash in Payne County (Rural Stillwater) Oklahoma. She started working on the farm as soon as she was able to do anything. She continued to work with her parents and siblings until she started school and then she worked before and after school on their farm.

Joan, as she is best known by her friends and family, played basket ball in High School and Lettered in the sport. She was a good student and upon graduation she continued to work with her parents until she found a job in Oklahoma City. She went to work for the First National Bank, in the First National Bank Building downtown Oklahoma City, where she worked for one of the bank's VP's.

Joan and a friend went to Kotche's Ballroom to learn to dance. It wasn't long before the owner asked her to be his dance partner when he taught, but he also told her "you will be like all the rest of my partners; you will find a man and you will leave me." And he wasn't wrong. It was there that she met Don Perceful. After dating for a while they were married and stayed together for 52 years. A year or two after they married they bought a farm at Tryon, Oklahoma. There they raised cattle (cow/calf operation) until they tried their luck at shrimping in Seabrook Texas. There she was the rock of the operation, always being at the "shrimp shack" waiting on customers while Don was out shrimping or wheel-n and deal-n.

They came back to the farm where they retired and raised a garden, spent time with their kids and grand-kids. She cooked and took care of Don especially after he fell and broke his leg and he eventually went to be with the Lord. She moved to a Sr. Living Center in OKC where he was the belle of the ball to the day she when she went to be with the Lord.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Don Everett Perceful of 52 years, her brother Charles Murlin, Sisters Wilda Arlene Murlin Matney, and Grace Louise Murlin Sutliff, and great-grandson Easton Gage Perceful.
She is survived by her brother Lee Ray Murlin, step children Brenda Peters and husband Rick of Newcastle, OK , and Ron Perceful and wife Wendee of Washington, OK, also grandchildren Terri Scott, Joshua Perceful, Toni Ashley, Chad Perceful, Stephanie Peters, Jennifer Weedn, Gary Mabry, and Ricky Peters and a host of great-grandkids and great-great-grandkids, nieces, nephews, and friends.