Clarabelle (Burks) Mathes (1922 - 2015)

Born 15 Aug 1922 in Hooker in Texas Co., Oklahoma, USA

Ancestors

Died 25 Jun 2015 at age 92 in Oklahoma City in Oklahoma Co., Oklahoma, USA

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Biography

Clarabelle was born in 1922. She was the daughter of John Burks and Laura Foglesong. She passed away in 2015.^[1]

Clarabelle Burks Mathes, was born on August 15, 1922, in Hooker, Oklahoma, to John and Laura Burks. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Reverend W.C. Mathes; her daughter, Lillian Clancy and sister, Thelma Shaw. She passed away peacefully at her home of 25 years in Epworth Villa on June 25, 2015, at the age of 92. She was survived by her sister June Mathes, age 100, of Oklahoma City; her son-in-law, Delbert Clancy of Sun City West, Arizona; her grandchildren, Deborah Clancy of Surprise, AZ; William Clancy of Fairfield, Iowa; Cynthia McIntyre and her husband Steve of Oklahoma City; her great grandson, Patrick McIntrye, and nephews, Doug Shaw and family, John Mathes and family, and Bob Mathes and family. Clarabelle grew up on a wheat farm in Hooker, Oklahoma. She attended a one-room school house, where she and her sisters, June and Thelma, would sometimes walk the two miles to school. She graduated from Hooker High School in 1940, where she played basketball, was in the marching band, and sang in the chorus. She began pursuing an education in nursing following high school. On Christmas Day in 1943 she married her husband, Rev. W.C. Mathes. She and W.C. had many church appointments throughout Oklahoma, which gave her a talent for packing, unpacking, and setting up numerous parsonage homes in which they lived. Clarabelle and W.C. spent seven years at the Methodist Children's home in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, raising well over 100 children. Upon W.C.’s retirement in 1971, they made Oklahoma City their permanent home. In 1990 they moved from their home in N.W. Oklahoma City to the Epworth Villa retirement community. Throughout Clarabelle’s life she loved to sing. She started early, singing in church choirs and school chorus groups. She continued singing in church choirs throughout her adult life, and in the Epworth Villa choir, upon moving there. She was an artist and known to sketch on any type of paper she could get her hands on, including the small Pioneer Woman note pads. She painted beautiful oil and water color paintings of flowers and landscapes. Her artistic talent carried over to a love for photography and making elaborate decorative eggs. She had a love of flowers and birds, and a great appreciation for the outdoors and nature. She enjoyed making jelly from the berry bushes that she had carried with her throughout all her moves in Oklahoma. Clarabelle loved to travel. In 1966, she and several other Ministers' wives began to get together at a cabin each year in Colorado. They continued the annual fall trip to Colorado until the late 1980s. After W.C. passed in 1999, Clarabelle began to travel around the world with her sister, June and many of her dear friends at Epworth Villa. Clarabelle was always an explorer and lover of hats. Her travel groups were thankful she wore a red hat on their travels as that is how they usually found her after she wandered off on her explorations. She was very active in the Oklahoma City Garden Club and Oklahoma City Chapter of PEO. During her 25 years at Epworth Villa she enjoyed, participating in fashion shows, line dancing, musical reviews, water aerobics, and her beloved view of the lake and the swans. She was also known to be a fierce competitor in bingo. She was a Thunder fan and enjoyed the time she met the players and always watched the games on TV. She loved the staff at Epworth Villa as they were more like an extended family to share life with. Clarabelle was known to be sweet and kind, and was adored by many. She will be missed by the many people she touched during her lifetime. Memorial Services will be held in the Brill Chapel at the Epworth Villa, 14901 N. Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City on Monday August 17, 2015 at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Oklahoma United Methodist Circle of Care (Tahlequah Children's home), or The Oklahoma City University W.C. & Clarabelle Mathes Endowed Religious Scholarship Fund.

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Sources

• Find A Grave Memorial# 150386328. Click here to see it: [1].

Footnotes

1. ↑ Information entered by Dave McNally, Thursday March 3, 2016

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Dave McNally for starting this profile.

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