John William Harreld
(January 24, 1872 - December 26, 1950)

John William Harreld was a United States Representative and Senator from Oklahoma. Born near Morgantown, Kentucky, he attended the public schools, the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio, and Bryant and Stratton Business College of Louisville, Kentucky, where he taught while studying law. He was admitted to the bar in 1889 and commenced practice in Morgantown. He was prosecuting attorney of Butler County from 1892 to 1896, and moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1906 where he continued the practice of law. He was a referee in bankruptcy from 1908 to 1915, when he resigned to become an executive with an oil corporation. He moved to Oklahoma City in 1917 and engaged in the production of oil and continued the practice of law. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1940 to the Seventy-seventh Congress and returned to Oklahoma City, where he continued the practice of law and his interest in the oil business.

After losing the 1926 election, he returned to Oklahoma City to resume his business interests. His wife, Laura [Ward] died in 1930, and he married her sister, Thurlow Ward, in 1931. The couple had a daughter. In 1940 the former senator ran unsuccessfully for Oklahoma's U.S. congressman-at-large seat. Harreld died in Oklahoma City on December 26, 1950, and he was interred there in Fairlawn Cemetery. [I did not locate his obit in the Oklahoman Archives]

[note in the newspapers the spelling varies from Harreld to Herrald]

The Daily Oklahoman 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
October  12, 1930, pg 21

Funeral conducted for Mrs. Laura W. Harreld, wife of John W. Harreld, former senator, who died Thursday after a long illness, were held at the First Baptist Church. Rev. T. L. Holcomb, pastor, officiated. She died at the family home, 920 North Robinson avenue. Services are under the direction of Street and Draper Funeral Home. Burial was in Fairlawn Cemetery.

Besides her husband, Mrs. Harreld is survived by her mother, Mrs. J. W. Ward of Ardmore and one son, Ward Harreld.

The Daily Oklahoman 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
March 3, 1955, pg 9

Ward Harreld Oilman, Dies; Funeral Friday

Ward H. Harreld, 50, veteran, Oklahoma oilman, died Wednesday at his home after a lengthy illness.

Harreld, in semi-retirement the past three years, devoted his life to the oil business. As a young man he worked in the fields, later associating with his father, the late J. W. Herreld, in oil exploration, production and development.

The elder Harreld was a United States senator from Oklahoma, elected in 1920.

Ward was born in Morgantown, KY and come to Ardmore in 1906. He was reared there and attended Kemper military academy in Missouri, the University of Virginia and the University of Oklahoma.

He is survived by his wife, Eleanor, of the home; his daughter, Mrs. Horace  G. Rhodes, and his step-mother, Mrs. John W. Harreld.

Services will be at 11am Friday in the Guardian funeral chapel with interment in Fairlawn. Family request no flowers but rather contributions be made to Oklahoma Medical Research foundation for cancer.

The Daily Oklahoman 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
December 21, 1922, pg 2

Father Dead, Harreld Told
Senator Leaves Washington At Notice of Death of Elder Harreld at Ardmore.

Washington, Dec 20, Senator Harreld of Oklahoma left Wednesday for Ardmore upon receipt of word of the death there of his father, T. N. Harreld.  The elder Harreld was a civil war veteran, 79 (sic) years old and is survived by a widow, a  daughter and two sons besides the senator.

The 97 (sic) year old, father of Sen. J. W. Harreld, died at his home here Wednesday afternoon. He had been ill about a year.

Funeral arrangements will be made when Senator Harreld arrives from Washington. Mrs. R. B. Drake of Hugo, daughter and Harley Harreld of Enid, a son arrived here tonight. Gene. H. Harreld, another son, is postmaster here.

Sources:  good faith fair use of sources stated above

Compiled, transcribed and submitted by Marti Graham, October 2026. Information posted for educational purposes for viewers and researchers. The contributor is not related to nor researching any of the above.

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