Oleta Exendine

Oleta Pauline Exendine was born April 2, 1923 in McCurtain Oklahoma.

Her parents were Alexander Lee McDougle, and C. Jane Legrand McDougle. She had two siblings, an older brother, Selma Lee McDougle, and a younger sister Elouise Hogan. She married Melvin LeRoy Exendine on June 18, 1943, They had 3 sons, Timothy Lee and his wife Tami of Sapulpa, Larry Dean and his wife Deana of Tulsa, and Billy Joe and his wife Pat of Tulsa. They also had 4 granddaughters, Jennifer, Danielle, Jessica, and Candice, and one grandson Stephen. She also had 10 great-grandchildren who knew her as "great mudder".

She died at Clarehouse on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. She was less than a month shy of 92 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alexander, and Jane, her husband, Melvin, her older brother Selma, her youngest son Bill, and his wife Pat. She leaves behind a host of family and friends.

Oleta moved to Bristow, Oklahoma when she was 14 and graduated from high school in 1940 and Bristow Junior College in 1942 with an Associate in Arts degree in business. She moved to Tulsa in 1942 and worked for a time at Allied Paint where she met her future husband. They lived in Turley for 45 years before Melvin's death in 1989. She also worked as a secretary for Gulf Oil, Warren Petroleum and finally for the Turley Children's home.

Oleta loved to garden, and always had many beautiful flowers and plants as well as vegetables in her garden. She also made many beautiful quilts and gave to family and friends. She liked to travel, taking an Alaskan cruise, visiting England, and going all over the US with family and friends.

Oleta grew up with music and loved to sing. She sang in quartets for a radio program in Okmulgee, Oklahoma--15 minutes of preaching and 15 minutes of singing each Sunday afternoon. They also sang in school home room programs. She, her dad, mother, brother also had a quartet and sang at Sunday afternoon singings.

She loved church and was baptized at age 12 in the town lake by Cleon Lyles. She would never tell it, but her dad used to play fiddle for the barn dance each Saturday night. She had a special gift for writing to people when she missed seeing them at church. She would share how much she had missed them, and hoped for them to be back soon. Maybe she wrote to you. She was especially blessed to have so many cards and letters for all of you. Twice people came on Sunday to have a brief service at her house and she loved it.

She had a bit of a stubborn streak in her. One time she wanted to add a room onto the back of their house. Melvin had to think about things before acting. Imagine his surprise when he drove home from work one evening to find her out in the back yard digging the foundation for the new room. She was ready to get started so he joined her and they got the foundation dug. Melvin's brother was a carpenter and came up to help them add the room onto their home.

Oleta has always been busy and active. She never waited for someone else to get something done, but figured she could do it. From getting on a ladder to clean out her gutters in her 80's to cooking Thanksgiving dinners for the family when she was 90. She just recently slid to the floor when she tried to stand up about 5:00 in the morning. Her daughter-in-law Tami was staying with her, and tried for 45 minutes to get her back in her chair. Oleta squirmed and twisted wanting to do it herself, but could not get up. Finally she let Tami call the Sapulpa fire department, who came sirens running and five handsome young men helped her back into her chair. She was surprised and happy to be treated so special.
She is survived by her sons: Tim Exendine (Tami), Larry Exendine (Deana), her sister, Eloise Hogan, her nieces, Jane Ligan and her husband Larry, Nancy Hartwig and her husband, Kirk; ten grandchildren: Jennifer Johnson, Stephen Exendine, Jessica Exendine, Candace Oliver, Danielle Exendine, Bryan Cahill, Steven Cahill, Zach Lamb, Matt Lamb, Lhra Lamb, great grandchildren: Becky Johnson, Emily Johnson, Melissa Johnson, Anna Hope Johnson, T. J. Johnson, Kimber Johnson, David Johnson, Gabrielle Oliver, Rylan Lamb, Michael Doke, numerous nieces, nephews and other family members.
Pallbearers are: Chris Mulkey, Dennis Robinson, Randy Crawford, Johnny Riggs, Jim Yeager and Jack Lierly.

Honorary Pallbearers are: Darrell Burcham, James Hamilton, Jerrad Treat and Carl Burris

Services are 10:00 Friday, March 13, 2015 at Glenpool Church of Christ, 12932 S. Elwood Avenue, Glenpool, Oklahoma. Mr. Benjamin Williams will officiate. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Mounds, Oklahoma.

Arrangements were entrusted to Schaudt’s Glenpool Funeral Service & Cremation Care. Family and friends may view the obituary and send condolences to the family online at www.schaudtfuneralservice.com