Claudine Campton Tally passed away gracefully at her home on June 27, 2017 in Athens, TX. A beautiful soul, a gentle spirit, a kind heart, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a rancher, a bookkeeper, a postmaster, a dedicated caregiver and a loving grandmother. Claudine wore a lot of hats and looked good in all of them.
Claudine was the second of five daughters, born to Howard and Alce (Latham) Campton on January 17, 1938 in Miller, Oklahoma. She grew up a tomboy in the Miller Community and attended school at Moyers, where she excelled in math and was an accomplished basketball player. She developed lifelong friendships with Mary Ellen Gernand and other classmates.
Claudine spent her early adulthood in Antlers, OK, studied business at Southeastern OK State University, worked in a doctor’s office and often juggled multiple jobs to support her four girls. After marrying Don Tally, she moved to Athens, TX and lived for a number of years operating a cattle ranch, working as a bookkeeper and volunteering as a 4-H leader. Upon retirement, they returned to Pushmataha County, OK and became valued members of the Snow Community. Claudine managed a horse ranch while caring for her disabled husband and at the age of 74 became the Snow Postmaster. She was always happiest in the great outdoors, whether watching wildlife along the shoals of Big Cedar Creek or baling hay on a hot summer day.
Claudine’s infatuation with horses began when she was 11 and her Dad brought home a horse that she named Smokey. Together they explored the Miller/Jumbo communities. Later, she developed an affinity for Blue Roan horses. She loved any activity involving horses from riding her own to being a spectator at horse races and rodeos. Recently she achieved a longtime dream of attending all nine performances of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo and enjoyed a trip to Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo.
Claudine was preceded in death by her parents, husband Don Tally, former husband William “Bill” Booker, brother-in-law Raymond Pryor, and grandson Dustin Trammell. She will be greatly missed by her family, including daughters Tammy Booker of Clayton, OK, Toni Frizell and husband Jeff most recently of Austin, TX, Terri Trammell and husband Shane of Athens, TX and Tonya Hannigan, also of Athens, stepson Don Tally, Jr and wife Sabrina of Midland, TX and stepdaughter Lyn Wallace and husband Bill of Longview, TX. She is survived by her four sisters, Billie Whiteside and husband Weldon of Antlers, OK, Hattie Emery and husband Ronald “Joe” of San Antonio, TX, Judy Pryor of Antlers, OK and Lynda Hale and husband Ronnie of Fate, TX and numerous nieces and nephews. Her grandchildren Aaron Trammell, Tyler Frizell, Courtney Hoelting, Amber Johnson, Kierstyn Hannigan, Kyle Frizell, Tara Loftis and five great-grandchildren were her pride and joy.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, July 1, 10:00 a.m. at the Miller Cemetery near Antlers, Oklahoma under the direction of Hannigan Smith Funeral Home of Athens, Texas.