Rowena Clay

Sunday, April 25th, 2010, Rowena Poolaw Clay, 87 crossed over into the presence of her Eternal Father and Savior King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Born October 1st, 1922, from the union of David and Bessie Poolaw, she was the third of four children. She was raised in the Mountain View area of southwest Oklahoma. She fondly remembered the many adventures with her sister Thelma, cousins, and special friends even while growing up during the Great Depression. A huge portion of her early life was celebrated at Rainy Mountain Baptist Church under the mentoring of the King and Venable missionary families. At an early age, she received her salvation. Around this time she was given a vision of her self as a teacher which she carried throughout her life. Challenged by her big brother, Newton, she found herself on a quest for learning words and their meanings. This exercise led to a love for reading and a broadening of education pursuits. Even as a youth, Rowena possessed a rare quality of being unafraid to excel and use her gifts and abilities in the circumstances of life. It was during World War II that Rowena became the first Kiowa woman to graduate from the University of Oklahoma in 1944. Rowena taught school for one year at Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas. A few years after the war, she met the dashing and handsome Levi Clay, a Winnebago from Nebraska who, at the time was a professional baseball pitcher. They married in February of 1951, and made their home with their two children on the southside of Oklahoma City.
Rowena worked for and retired from the Employment Security Commission of the State of Oklahoma as a statistical analyst. She served as a pianist and Sunday school teacher at Glorieta Baptist Church. She felt it was her calling to take the spiritual truths from the scripture and reveal its practical applications for everyday life. After retirement , Rowena loved to hear from and visit family and friends. She enjoyed working crosswords puzzles and watching the Food Network and CNN.

She leaves behind her son, Ron Clay and spouse Carolyn of Mountain View; daughter Cynthia Rattler and spouse Darryle of Moore; special granddaughter Sheila Clay of the home with her children Kalista, Samara, Dacia and Marquis; grandson Daniel Clay and children Brent and Taran of Shawnee; grandson Kevin Rattler and spouse Molly of Norman; granddaughter Autumn Rattler and son Blake of Moore; and grandson, George Rattler of Moore; nephew Mike Poolaw of St. Paul, Minnesota; niece Edwina Joyce Mauldin of Newcastle, Oklahoma ; niece Wanda Wallace of Florida; special telephone friend Mary Roy of Moore, and a host of family and friends.

Services: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday 28,2010 at Glorieta Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, .OK
Burial: 3:30 p.m. Wednesday April 28, 2010 New Rainy Mountain Cemetery, Mt. View, OK
Under the direction of Ray & Martha's Funeral Home, Carnegie Oklahoma