Stone Gardens: A future governor of Oklahoma stopped into O.W. Conner's barbershop while on the campaign trail

Orvin "O.W." Conner (

Orvin "O.W." Conner (June 23, 1917 – June 20, 2005) was a longtime resident of Vinita in Craig County, , best known locally as a barber and gospel preacher.

Born on June 23, 1917, in Van Zandt County, Texas, to William T. Conner and Bertha Mae (Brown) Conner, Orvin grew up with deep family roots in Texas before the family moved to Oklahoma. He attended school in Cottonwood and Josephine, Texas, and later finished at Chelsea High School.

Those early years, marked by rural life and relocation during a changing era, helped shape his strong work ethic and quiet steadiness.

In 1939, Orvin married Ruby B. Collier in Bentonville,. The couple made their home in Vinita and raised three children there: Dan, Sharon, and Rose Marie. They built a life together in Craig County that spanned more than six decades until Ruby’s passing in February 2005.

Orvin was also deeply connected to his extended family, including his brother C.B. “Red” Conner and several sisters.

Orvin owned and operated a barber shop at 719 West Illinois in Vinita for many years. His shop became a local gathering spot where conversations mattered as much as the haircuts.

In 1966, gubernatorial candidate Dewey Bartlett stopped in for a trim while reading the Vinita Daily Journal. Bartlett later autographed the photo, thanking Orvin for both the good haircut and the conversation. That small moment linked the local barber to the man who would soon become Oklahoma’s governor

.In addition to his work with scissors and comb, Orvin served as a gospel preacher and dedicated member of the Church of Christ.

He remained in Vinita until his final days. Orvin passed away on June 20, 2005, just short of his 88th birthday. He and Ruby now rest side by side at Fairview Cemetery.

Orvin “O.W.” Conner lived the kind of steady, rooted life that held small-town Oklahoma together — one haircut, one conversation, and one sermon at a time.