Funeral Mass for Gretchen Hajek will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, December 23, 2019 at Holy Family Catholic Church with Rev. Philip Seeton, Pastor officiating.

Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

A Rosary will be held Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Gretchen Hajek, 75, Lawton, passed away Thursday, December 19, 2019 in Lawton with her family at her side. She was born January 23, 1944 in Alva, Oklahoma to Fred C. and Ruth (Brozovich) Green, Sr. Gretchen grew up in Alva and graduated from high school there.  She went to Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva for two years followed by attendance at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater earning a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences. Following graduation, Gretchen worked doing microbiology research at Oklahoma State. While in Stillwater, Gretchen met Francis B. "Frank" Hajek while he was attending graduate school there. Gretchen and Frank were married on August 23, 1969 in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The couple recently celebrated their 50 ^th anniversary together. They moved to Lawton where Frank began working as a professor in the Cameron University Mathematics and Computer Sciences department. Gretchen worked at Holy Family Catholic Church for 33 years as a data records specialist. She was a bilingual teacher and taught English to Spanish speaking students and Spanish to English speaking students.

Gretchen had many talents. She was an accomplished equestrian and loved horses. She loved nature and any kind of animal and it seemed animals were drawn to her. Gretchen was very much a people person and would help anyone especially the handicapped and needy. She always stated that, "You cannot have enough friends." She was noted for being an outstanding artist and was able to draw very well especially portraits of family members. Gretchen was a very loving wife and mother and will be missed by all. A family member wrote, "Gretchen married her Francis. And together with him for 50 years, she loved all people in the spirit and likeness of the sainted Francis of Assisi. She especially embodied the call of Pope Francis, long before his pontificate began, by loving and advocating for the poor and those on the fringes of America's throwaway culture."

Gretchen is survived by her husband of the home, a daughter, Angela Welliver of Edmond, Oklahoma, seven grandchildren, two brothers, Fred C. Green, Jr. and wife Ann of Bettendorf, Iowa and David Green of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, one sister, Lynda Nicholson of Garland, Texas, and other nieces, nephews, and family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents and step-father, Dr. Donald Shaffer.