Clara Frances Tarbutton

Clara Frances Tarbutton (née Strickland) joined her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on October 25, 2025. She was a devoted mother, daughter, grandmother, wife and friend who will be missed by all who knew her.

Clara was born on July 26, 1938, in Dallas, Texas and has lived in Oklahoma since the age of six. She was the daughter of Paul Loomis Strickland and Mildred Agnes Johnson. Her family moved to Glencoe in 1951. She attended school there and was a guard on the girls’ basketball team. The family moved to Edmond when she was in eighth grade, and she graduated from Edmond High School where she was a cheerleader for several years.

Clara married Andre Ferdinand Tarbutton in December of her senior year of high school. They made their home in Wichita, Kansas after her graduation while Andy was in the Air Force. They returned to Oklahoma in 1959, settling in rural Edmond.

Clara was a wonderful mother to her four children: Andrew Paul, Ronald Lee, Frances Denise and John Dee. She was a devoted servant of God and worked tirelessly for His glory at Britton Baptist Church. She especially loved working with children, teaching Sunday School to mostly four- and five-year-olds and volunteering at Vacation Bible School. She will be remembered for the delicious Wednesday night dinners that she prepared for the church for many years. She was a fabulous cook!

Clara remained a resident of Edmond until 2014 when she moved to Stillwater. Most recently, she resided in Guthrie at Golden Age Nursing Home.

Three children survive Clara: Ron Tarbutton and his wife, Liz, Denise Welks and her husband, Steve, and John Tarbutton and his wife Melodee. She has five grandchildren: James Tarbutton, Jennifer Tarbutton Simmons, Timothy Tarbutton, Bryan Tarbutton, and Katie Welks Griffin. She is also survived by ten great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Clara will be remembered fondly by several church congregations which she attended: Britton Baptist Church, Countryside Church in Stillwater, and First Baptist Church in Guthrie.

Clara will be greeted by many loved ones in Heaven: her husband of over 30 years, Andy, parents Paul and Mildred, her brother Edwin Strickland and sisters Peggy Smith and Pauline Fowler. She will joyfully reunite with her first son Andy Paul who died in infancy.

Clara’s family would like to thank the staff and administration of Golden Oaks Village in Stillwater and Golden Age Nursing Home in Guthrie for their loving care. A special thanks goes to Clara’s loving friends Matthew and Sarah McMaster and Desirea, who all added joy to her life in Guthrie.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to Britton Baptist Church, Countryside Baptist Church, or the First Baptist Church of Guthrie.

Services will be held at 10:00am on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Kolb Cemetery at 11:30am.