Funeral Services for Marie Dewees, 93, Clinton resident will be held 10:00 A.M., Monday, June 22, 2020 in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, officiated by Pastor Dale Neese and Pastor Bowman Vowell. Burial will conclude in the Union Hatchett Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. Viewing hours will be from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Saturday and from 1:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Sunday.
Marie Elizabeth (Horst) Dewees was born June 17, 1927 to Karl “Charlie”and Elizabeth (Schmidt) Horst in Butler, Oklahoma and passed away early Thursday, June 18, 2020 in the River Valley Nursing Home (formerly Grace Living Center) in Clinton, Oklahoma.
Marie was raised in Butler, the youngest of a family of 15. She attended Butler Schools and graduated as Salutatorian of her 8th grade class and Valedictorian of her 1945 graduating class. While still in school, she worked as a telephone operator.
Marie, like most of her family, was talented musically and started singing on the Elk City Radio when she was six years old. She also sang in the church choir at the Butler Methodist Church. From the age of 10, Marie was an avid writer and poet, and continued writing her whole life.
Her poems can be found in a published work, “Reflections.”
On July 5, 1945, she married Bill A. Dewees in Arapaho, Oklahoma. They made their home near Stafford, OK, and started a family. Bill was enlisted to the U.S. Army and was stationed in Tacoma, WA, where Marie and their son, Randall joined him.
They were there until Bill’s discharge, after which they returned to Stafford, then later moved to Clinton.
When her four children were grown or in school, Marie rejoined the work force, first at Edo Air, then later at Clinton Regional Hospital as a Medical Records Transcriptionist.
During that time, from 1971 to 1978, she continued her education by taking classes in the medical field from Southwestern. She later worked a short time as a church secretary at the First Christian Church, and then part time for Dr. A. A. Mohammad.
Marie was a longtime member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church where she taught Sunday school for over 50 years and served as church pianist for 32 years. The Church elected her an Elder, and she held several offices in the CPW.
She wrote articles for and edited the church newsletter until 2008. When the Church provided services for nursing homes, Marie sang and played the piano. She also led Bible studies for the residents.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Bill and a son, Randall Dewees; brothers and sisters, Aaron Horst, Karl Horst Jr., Raymond Horst, Martha (Horst) Depel, Angelina (Horst) Beck, Bertha (Horst) Bourquin, Alma (Horst) Bourquin, Reinhold Horst, Calvin Horst, Amiel Horst, Samuel Horst, Moses Horst, Benjamin Horst, and Jonathan Horst.
She is survived by two daughters, Beverly Summerford and husband Duncan, and Camille Stewart and husband, Mark, a son, Kent Dewees and wife Beth, all of Clinton, and a daughterin-law, Linda Dewees of Arapaho.
She is also survived by six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one greatgreat grandchild.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gideon’s International or to the charity of your choice.