Don Clift
Funeral services will be held for Don Clift, 88, Butler resident, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Clinton. He died Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, at AllianceHealth Clinton.
Don Melvin Clift was born Feb. 11, 1927, to Don Felix Clift and Nota Lee Barton, in Tuscahoma. The Clift family moved to western Oklahoma in 1934. They migrated across the plains of Texas as far as New Mexico, picking cotton for a living, and then returned to Oklahoma where Clift helped his dad farm.
Mr. Clift attended school at Colter and Pie Flat and graduated from Canute High School in 1945. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Germany during WWII, and after receiving an honorable discharge returned home to Oklahoma and continued to help his father farm. In 1953 he met and married Nelda Fletcher, and together they had two children. In 1969 Clift married Ella Jean (Ray) Huddleston. Jean had two children, and they all moved to a farm northwest of Butler where they spent 23 years together until Jean’s death in 1992. Clift married Mary Lou (Howe) Snider in 1999, and they made their home in Butler where he continued to farm and ranch. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Butler.
He is preceded in death by his parents; a son, Donnie Clift; two brothers, Charles Clift and Houston Clift; two sisters, Hazel Bonner and Georgia Armstead; a granddaughter, Jamie Lynn Clift; and a grandson, Dannie Gene Huddleston.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou, of the home; daughter Deanna Harrison and husband, Randy, Africa; three step daughters, Karen Cravens and husband, Randy, Putnam; De Anne Shelton and husband, Sam, Butler; Connie Crowder and David Armstrong, Sunset, Texas; two step-sons, Danny Huddleston, Fay, and Larry Snider and wife, Pat, Clinton; sister Thad Mikles, Elk City; and brother Robert Clift and wife, J.J., Jamul, Calif.
He is also survived by 16 grandchildren, Jennifer Cobb and husband, Mark, Butler, Jessica Trebing and husband, Shane, Butler, Daniel Harrison and wife, Kim, Africa, Christy Harrison and husband, Peter, Sensenig, Africa, Rachel Keeler and husband, Adam, Africa, Matt Cravens and wife, Julie, Clinton, Jeanie Atchley and husband, Ethan, Elk City, Donnie Huddleston, Custer City, Travis Gittings and wife, Angela, Yukon, Eric Shelton and wife, Lora, Thomas, Chris Kauk and wife, Michelle, Clinton, Gregg Kauk and wife, Rebecca, Arapaho, Kristy Flies, Clinton, Tracy McCulllough and husband, Gene, Clinton; 16 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Services will be officiated by Pastor Vann Leonard. Interment will follow at Butler Cemetery under the direction of Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.