Harland C. Stonecipher, a life-long southeast Oklahoma resident, business giant and the founder of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (now LegalShield), passed away on Monday afternoon. He was 76 years of age.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley; oldest son, Allen, and his wife, Karen; and two grandsons, Greg and Zane. He was preceded in death by his parents as well as his youngest son, Brent, daughter-in-law Tina, and granddaughter, Nikki.
Stonecipher grew up in Centrahoma and attended Tupelo Schools before being the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada in 1959 and became a teacher and debate coach at Chandler and Okmulgee high schools. He soon left his teaching career and became an insurance sales. In 1969, he was involved in an automobile accident while making a sales trip. Legal bills from that accident led him to create Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. in 1972
Stonecipher often commented he “would’ve given up on the company if he had known how broke he was” but, with the help of his wife, Shirley, saw his idea grow from a single-room operation to being listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The company sold for more than