Clay Lee Bettes

Clayton Lee Bettes was born July 6, 1973 to Lee Bettes, Jr. and Wilma Bettes, now Jones, in Pauls Valley, OK and died at the home of his parents on June 22, 2013, at 39 years of age. In 1989, in a unique family wedding ceremony where each adult vowed to establish a parental bond with the other’s child and the children exchanged vows between themselves, Clay and his mother married David M. Jones and his daughter Catherine who is two months younger than Clay. From that moment forward David Jones was his Dad and Catherine was his sister. Clay attended schools at Pauls Valley, East Central University, Rose State University and various Computer Technology Institutes. He studied as a paralegal before switching to computer science. As an adult, Clay lived in Norman for some 15 years, a few years of which he and his nephew Brandon Bettes, who is just some two years younger, shared a home while they both worked and furthered their education. He also lived in Oklahoma City before moving back to Pauls Valley last fall. He worked at the Dell Computer Call Center in Oklahoma City as a Technical Senior Enterprise Analyst, a job he truly enjoyed performing. In his time off, he also enjoyed playing on-line computer games with family and friends all across the nation, reading, playing Frisbee golf, riding motorcycles, fishing, gourmet cooking, playing different musical instruments and just visiting with his many friends and family. Clayton was predeceased by his father, Lee W. Bettes, Jr.; maternal grandfather, Trudet T. Tomlinson; paternal grandparents, Lee W. Bettes, Sr. and Etta Bettes; aunts, Bonnie Tomlinson Burk Garvin and Helen Bettes Copeland; uncle, Melvin Eugene Bettes, cousin, Lloyd Burk, Jr., and twin infant nieces, Lisa and Jerri Bettes. His good nature and kind actions sorely will be missed by his friends, co-workers and the family members he left surviving, including his parents, David M. and Wilma Jones of Pauls Valley; his maternal grandmother, Pearl O. Tomlinson, of Oklahoma City but formerly of Elmore City; his sister Catherine Hayden and her husband Tim, Lexington, KY; his half-sister, Letha Anderson, Norman; his half-brothers, Wayne Bettes, Oklahoma City, and Larry Bettes and wife Denise, Ontario, California; his nephew and friend, Brandon Bettes and wife Stacy of Stillwater; his aunts and and uncles including Lucile Bettes Oxner of Saillisaw; Linda Yarbrough and husband Don of Oklahoma City; Ruby Smith of Hennessey; Patty McKee and husband Tommy of Norman, and Bob Jones and wife Ann of Edmond, Oklahoma, nieces: Holly Pitman of Norman; and Jennifer Brandt and husband David of Indianapolis, Ind.; together with cousins, Melinda Riggs of Sallisaw; Nancy Williford and husband Gary of Atoka; Tina Gilliland and husband Ronnie of Hennessey; Kathy Hixson and husband Richard, of Oklahoma City; Corbin Yarbrough and wife Shantel, of Oklahoma City; Allen Dale Smith and wife Jamie, of Hennessey; Chad Yarbrough and wife Carol of Oklahoma City; Kristen M. Claydon and husband Tommy of Norman; John McKee and wife Amy of Norman; Johnny McKee and wife Terri of Noble; Jeffrey Allen Tomlinson and wife Chrissy of Kingfisher; Jacki Lynn Farris and husband Sean of Kingfisher, Gregory M. Jones and wife Karen of Oklahoma City; Kristin Shea and husband Marc of Oklahoma City;Benjamin Jacks and wife Crystal of Lindsay; Jacqulie Wood and Louisa Romanos both of Elmore City; and last, but not least his 12 year-old twin nephews, Ben and Sam Hayden of Lexington, Kentucky, as well as many other relatives not named. Clayton suffered with a lung disease all of his life. In the short amount of time he lived, he noticed the advancements made by medical research which lead to the making of more effective medicines and better treatments for persons with lung disease. It is with this knowledge that the family suggests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation 825 N.E. 13th St Oklahoma City, OK 73104, The American Lung Association 11212 N. May Ave, Suite 405 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 or to any charitable cause of your personal preference. Memorial services are being held at The First United Methodist Church, Pauls Valley, on Friday, June 28th, at 2:00 P.M. conducted by Wooster Funeral Home with cremation following. His ashes will be buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Pauls Valley, OK at a later date. There will be visitation with the family after the memorial until 5:00 PM in the Fellowship hall of the church for visitation. All are welcome to attend. Services are under the direction of Wooster Funeral Home. You may send a condolence to the family at www.woosterfuneralhomes.com

Clay Lee Bettes

July 6, 1973 - June 22, 2013