Mary Opal Thompson

Funeral services for Mary Opal Cooper-Thompson will be held on Monday, February 11th, 2019 at 12:00 PM at Reed-Culver Chapel with Mr. Jerry Lawrence officiating. Her visitation will be on Monday, February 11th, 2019 beginning at 10:00 AM until noon at Reed-Culver. She will be laid to rest at Mollie Fields Cemetery. Online condolences for her family may be left at www.reedculver.com.

Mary Opal Cooper-Thompson was born on Tuesday, February 17th, 1942 in Pitcher, OK, the daughter of Wayne and Lela Cooper, and was later raised by her stepfather, Amos Taber. She had ten siblings, Jack, Waynette, Jimmy, Sammy, Jo Jean, Sharlene, Billy, Amos, Mickey and Johnny. She attended school in Pitcher and then met her future husband and best friend, Rex Deathrage. This union was blessed with one daughter, Chere, and one son Charley. Rex died in an automobile accident, then Mary decided to start over in California. She relocated her family to San Diego, married Kenneth Hales, attended Cosmetology School and opened her own hair salon, “The Hair Cottage,” “A Cut Above” and later, “Hair Fashions.”. Her daughter Candace was born to this union. She would later marry James Orville Warren, and this union was blessed with Crystle and Jimmy. Following her divorce from James, she would later Marry R.L. Thompson. It was while living in California that Mary took up Swing Dancing, joining the West Coast Swing Dancers Club. Mary was always outdoors, working in her garden and yard, raising beautiful flowers and terracing.

When she was done working, she decided it was time to take her family back to Oklahoma and they settled in the Tahlequah area. Mary began to terrace and build her own home and hillside gardens, gathering rocks from her land and all the way to Mollie Fields for a period of over ten years. She was employed making her delicious dinners at the Oaks and Kansas Senior Citizens Centers. She knew how to make people feel welcome and at home. Her warm smile and friendly way of greeting people always made them feel that they had known Mary for years. Her biscuits and gravy were excellent and anything Mary made was going to be wonderful. There were no more important people in her life than her grandchildren and great grandchildren, she adored them. They never left her house hungry and always had her love and support to see them through. A Christian by faith, Mary always kept a copy of the poem “The Lighthouse” in pocket to remind her of the loving God that held her fast. She was a member of the Freedom Christian Church in Twin Oaks and loved her church family. The Lord called this loving wife, mother and grandmother home from her labors on Saturday, February 2nd, 2019 at her home in Tahlequah, OK. She was 76 years old. She will be greatly missed for all the love and the love of life she shared daily.

Mary is preceded in death by her mother, father, three brothers, Jack, Jimmy and Amos and two sisters, Sharlene and Jo Jean.

Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Chere Deathrage and grandchildren, Melinda and Charles Turner and great grandchildren, Teresa Zito, Cheyenne Zito, Savannah Turner and Charlie Turner and great great greatgrandchildren, Jaylie Zito, Zaviah Zito, Marquis Zito, A’naiya Zito, Emiliono Turner, Camila Turner and Zshjkar Turner; her son, Charley Deathrage and grandchildren, Jonathan Ballew, Destiny McKie and Paradise Zeigler and great grandchildren, Thora Ballew, Michael Krause, Austin McKie, Myah McKie, Lecodah McKie, Kanaan Gregory, Kendrick Deatherage, Kayden Deatherage and Jolene Deatherage; her daughter, Candace Goddin and grandchildren, Tabitha Jenkins and husband Brad and great grandchildren, Trinity Jenkins and Cypress Jenkins; her daughter, Crystle Barraza and husband Ricardo and grandchildren, Nicole Barraza, Ricky Barraza and wife Shanay and great grandchildren, Ricky Barraza, Owen Barraza and Tracy Groos and her husband Tim and great great grandchildren, Aleeya Groos and Audgrey Groos; her son, James Warren Jr and grandchildren, Brandon Warren, Jimmy Warren III and Melanie Warren. She leaves her sister, Waynett Cooper, her brother, Sammy Taber, her brother, Billy Dale Taber, her brother, Mickey Taber and her brother, Johnny Taber as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends and loved ones.