Talmage "Dwain" Provins

Talmage “Dwain” Provins, 86, of Traverse City passed away Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at home with his loving family at his side. Dwain was born in De Kalb, Texas to the late Talmage and Mary (Cunningham) Provins. He married his high school sweetheart Wanda L. Swaner on March 21, 1953 in Cordell, Oklahoma. On March 21, 2023 the happy couple celebrated their 70th anniversary together, a mark only 0.1% of all couples make. Dwain started his oilfield career while still in high school, working for his Dad. He discovered he enjoyed working on the rigs and decided to make a career out of it. He worked his way up from worm to motors to derrick to driller to toolpusher and finally to a drilling superintendent. In 1969 at the ripe age of 32 his company entrusted him with the job of moving 5 rigs out of southeast New Mexico for Shell Oil to a new project in northern Michigan. This job was an extreme challenge, not only did he have to train people who had never even seen a rig much less worked on one to drill but he had to put up with a new enemy that he had never encountered, old man winter. As a side note In our family we called this move hitting the locational lottery, we had lived in a lot of places in our short lives but I don’t know how many of you have ever been to southwest New Mexico but take my word for it, Traverse City Michigan is a huge step up. After leaving his original employer he took a number of different roles for various major oil companies both on the drilling and production sides of the business finally setting into the role of CEO of his own production company OIL Energy. He will always be known for how much he helped the people that worked for him. Along with some of his closest friends, he will also be known to be a legend in the small group of people who helped shape the oil and gas business in Michigan. Starting in 2005 he and Wanda started splitting their time between Traverse City and wintering in sunny Las Vegas. He was a member of the Williamsburg United Methodist Church, the Oil and Gas Association of Michigan, The Masons Lodge #1338 in Odessa Texas and the Scottish Rite of San Antonio, Texas. In his spare time he enjoyed golfing and spending time with his family. Dwain will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, boss, and friend. He will be sadly missed by all those who knew and loved him. Dwain is survived by his loving wife of 70 years Wanda, his children Kim (Scott) Meteer, Gay Frew, Gary (Karen) Provins, Grandchildren, Michael (Erin) Meteer, Jeff (Karen) Meteer, Steven (Nicole) Meteer, Ashley (Josh) Iocca, Brenna (Brian) Austin, David (Andreea) Frew, Ava Provins, and Ella Provins, great grandchildren Maggie & Rowan Meteer , Ben Meteer, Henry and Carter Meteer, Trey, Ty, Harper and Jax (TD) Iocca, Drew, Olivia & Ellis Austin, Brooklyn, Nolan and Reagan Frew. Nephews Don and Curt Ross and Nieces Ronita (Greg) Cox, and Cindy (Gary) Vignal. He is preceded in death by his parents, an infant daughter Sherry, his son Dennis, Son in law Scott Frew, his sister Gene and brother-in-law Carl Ross and brother and Sister in law Ronnie & Ervin Thurman. Services are scheduled for Wednesday August 2nd at 2:00pm with visitation one hour before at Reynold Jonkhoff Funeral home, 305 Sixth Street, Traverse City, MI 49686. Memorial contributions in his honor may be directed to the Williamsburg United Methodist Church or the Traverse City Junior Golf Association.