Clara Jean Orander Stokes
October 5, 1928 ~ October 4, 2017 (age 88) 88 Years OldShare using:
Clara Jean Orander Stokes, 88, departed this life one day before her 89th birthday on Oct 4, 2017 after an extended illness. Meme Clara was born in Crumpler, West Virginia to Richard and Ethel Orander. She graduated from Northfork High at the top of her class in 1946. At the urging of her Methodist pastor, she enrolled at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, paying her first year tuition with silver dollars. Between her sophomore and junior year, the Home Economics major married on Aug 4, 1948, Luther Ray Stokes, who was also attending Asbury from Homewood, Mississippi following WW2 in the Navy, studying for the ministry. After the couple graduated in 1950, she settled into her lifelong dream of becoming a pastors wife in the Berry, Boyd and Vicco, Kentucky Methodist churches. Upon Luther’s graduation from Asbury seminary in 1954, they moved to Sopchoppy, Florida from Vicco in 1955 with Paula,3 and John,1. It was in Sopchoppy that Clara began her dual role as a pastors wife and elementary school teacher that continued to Monticello, where their third child, Lewis was born. In 1965 they returned to Kentucky for two years where she taught at Wilmore while Luther was the Asbury College Alumni director. In 1967 they moved to Williston, Florida where she taught in Bronson and Williston elementary schools while staying busy teaching Sunday school and fulfilling the role of a pastors wife. In 1977 she continued her long teaching career in Lake City at Summers Elementary, completing her Masters Degree at UK,UF and FSU, before “retiring” in 1996. Words are inadequate to express the many people she touched through her cooking of countless cakes and batches of fudge for various occasions, her continual correspondence through letters, cards and notes and her visiting the sick and shut-ins while all the time teaching our children and her grand children and great grand children.
Meme “Granny Go Go” Clara is survived by her children Paula Powers, John(Melanie) and Lewis(Cindy)Stokes. Granddaughters Allison Powers(John Walsh), Jessica Johnson(Eric), Lyndsy Stokes and Crystal Nicole”Nikki” Kistler. Grandsons Landon(Amber), Jordon, Nicholas and Noah Stokes. Great grandchildren Pearce and Carson Powers, Claire Walsh, Madeleine and Everett Johnson, Nathaniel Stokes and Ava Kistler.
Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 11:00 AM at the First United Methodist Church of Williston at 213 West Noble Ave., Williston, Florida, with Pastor Aaron Turner, Pastor Wes Smith and Rev. Danny Bennett officiating. Interment will follow at Orange Hill Cemetery in Williston. Visitation with the family will be Wednesday evening, October 11, 2017, from 5-8:00 PM at Gateway-Forest Lawn Funeral Home in Lake City. Memorials in her name can be sent to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, 51,Children’s Way, Enterprise, Fl 32725, which she was a long supporter and Haven/Suwannee Valley Care Center , 6037 W US90, Lake City, Fl 32055.