VALPA

Noel Chester Woosley, formerly of Tahlequah, died in St. Petersburg, FL, March 2, with his family and loved ones by his side. Noel suffered a stroke on Monday, February 26, and failed to regain consciousness prior to his death.

Noel was born in Eagle Rock, CA, on July 31, 1942. He joined the U. S. Army immediately after graduating from high school and served in Paris, France. After serving 12 years in the Army, two of which were spent in Viet Nam, he moved to Tahlequah and attended Northeastern State University where he received his masters degree in 1977.

He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity and "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities”, and he was active in veterans' organizations. Noel worked as a graduate assistant before moving to the Washington, D. C., area to work for the Veterans Administration.

A strong veterans' advocate, Noel's career path led to his becoming AMVETS' National Service Director, where he worked with Congress and Cabinet members and was influential in getting veterans' legislation passed.

Noel also provided oversight to AMVETS National Service Officers stationed at VA Regional Offices and Medical Centers throughout the United States, ensuring that veterans were provided excellent assistance in filing claims for veterans' benefits.

Noel was a current member of. The American Legion, Rhodes-Pritchett Post 50, Tahlequah, and a life member of AMVETS and the VFW and the DAV.

Noel is survived by his wife, Carolyn, to whom he was married 22 years; his brother, Leon Woosley, and wife Linda, of Gresham, OR; his son, Craig Noel Woosley, and wife Debra, of Montgomery, AL; his daughter, Teresa Noelle Farish, of Dale City,VA; his son, Dusty Cox and wife Dawn, of St. Petersburg; his daughter Wendy Carter, of Palm Harbor, FL; his granddaughter, Victoria Noelle Cook, of Virginia Beach, VA; his grandson, Michael Farish, of Dale City, VA; his grandson Jeremy Rivera, serving in the Army in Korea; his grandson FolTe5tRivera, of Palm Harbor; his granddaughter's Chelsie Cox, and Kaitlin Cox, and grandson Austin Cox, of SLPetersburg; and a host of other mends and loved ones.

Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday.

A corporate Attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company:

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED."

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address.

Never have your SS # printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.

I also carry a Photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.  

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month.

Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a

PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more.

But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll tree numbers and your card Numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6.File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit Providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations IMMEDIATELY to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name.

The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done.

There are records of a1l the Credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wal1et, etc., has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285 & 888-766-0008

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union: 800-680-7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 800-269-0271