Clara Mae Owen

Clara Mae (Moss) Owen (88), died after an illness on January 19, 2023. Clara was born in Hulbert Oklahoma, Cherokee county, the youngest of 4 children born to Emma and Millard Fillmore Moss. She is survived by her nephew, Dana Winegarner and his wife Karen Winegarner, their children Andrew Winegarner and his wife Leanna, Karalyne Winegarner and Rebekah Winegarner. Her parents, siblings and husband preceded her in death. Clara was introduced to the ‘love of her life’ Oscar Owen by a classmate and they were married on June 1, 1952, the year she graduated highschool. They started their married life in Jay, Oklahoma, where Oscar worked for the Forestry Department and Clara worked at the county health department. In 1954, they bought land near Hanson road on the outskirts of Sallisaw and by 1955 moved into the home that Oscar had built on the land. Over the years they would add onto the house as well as add outbuildings but always seemed to enjoy just being home improving the land or raising livestock. Clara started her work career in Sallisaw working for the Sequoyah County Times for 4 years after which she took a job with the lime company in Marble City for the next 31 years of her career. Then, after 31 years in Marble City, she was forced to change jobs as they looked for ‘younger’ talent. She worked temp jobs for a year or so until she landed a job as a payroll clerk for LTC services in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Her honesty, punctuality, spunk and forthrightness kept her a valuable employee for 25 years, until she retired in March of 2022 at the age of 87. Clara and Oscar established themselves as hard working, good hearted, Christian folk. Oscar and Clara worked for many years managing the rural water district in addition to their regular day jobs. They also spent many a weekend fixing up and caring for the property of the old Bethel Baptist Church at its original location in Sallisaw on Creek Avenue, both doing repairs on the inside and mowing the property every weekend. After Oscar’s passing in 1994, Clara continued the work at the church by coming early on Sunday’s and preparing breakfast for all the children coming for Sunday school. Clara also enjoyed collecting antiques and for a time did managing estate sales in her spare time finding treasures and adding to her own collection of beautiful things. Clara was always a softie for the wandering dog or cat that appeared on her property. She took in both cats and dogs over the years, always naming them with the prefix, “MR….” Her beloved two dogs passed away last year, but her beautiful persian cat, Mr. Clean was her constant companion even in her final days. Although Clara and Oscar had no children, she became the special ‘grandma’ to her nephew and his wife’s (Dana and Karen Winegarner) three children. They loved visiting Clara, climbing on the hay bales stacked in the pasture, wandering on the acreage picking up pecans, climbing trees or going to the pond. Clara’s candid demeanor and independence was a trait that was admired and emulated by all the children and that persona lasted until the very end. She will be sorely missed by her family, friends and co-workers but we can rejoice with her, being now in the presence of Our Lord and Savior.

Clara Mae Owen

September 13, 1934 - January 19, 2023