Leona "Pee-Wee" Evline Crittenden

Leona “Pee-Wee” Crittenden was born on August 31st, 1938 in Chewey, OK, the daughter of Peter and Nanny (Gibson) Vann. She grew up with 8 sisters and 5 brothers, Raymond, Ross, Jackson, Billy “Woody”, and Daniel, Thelma, Williemae, Leoma, Mary Jane, Virginia “Parchie”, Irma June, Lucy and Lillie Sue. She attended school at Wyandotte and oaks Mission. She met Alvin Alton ”Bones” Crittenden, and even though he was sent away serving in the Army, he returned and claimed Pee Wee as his bride. They were a happy family of four, with the birth of a daughter, Belinda, whom they nicknamed “Pookie” and their son Alan, or “Scrogg” as he was affectionately called. Pee Wee loved the great outdoors. There was nothing better than fishing, camping, hunting crawdads and digging wild onions. Between ballgames and bingo, she kept busy keeping up with her families activities. She showed her family her love by keeping them fed with her homemade raisin pies, fried tators and beans and cornbread, biscuits with gravy, fry bread, chicken and dumplings and her the best bean balls and fish paddies. She raised beautiful gardens full of vegetables, made dream catchers and baby quilts for everyone in the family. What little time she had to relax, she loved watching the Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud and channel 23 news. She had a smile on her face, and a kind and loving demeanor. She was unassuming and took people and life just as she found it. The sunrise and sunset from her own backyard was enough for Pee Wee. She was a Baptist by faith, loved the old gospel songs and knew them all by heart. She attended Leach First Baptist and loved every chance she got to gather with her church family to praise the Lord. The Lord called this faithful hard working servant home from her many labors on March 2nd, 2023 at her home, surrounded by those she loved and adored. Pee Wee was 84 years old and will be greatly missed.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Stan and Tennessee Gibson, her Mother and Father, Pete and Nanny Vann, her husband “Bones “in 1990, her son Alan “Scroggs” in 2017, five brothers, Raymond Vann, Ross Vann, Jackson Vann , Daniel Gibson, and Billy “Woody” Vann, four sisters, Leoma Gourd, Virginia “Parchie” Randolph, Irma June Roach, Lucy Sullivan and Mary Jane West, and her granddaughter, Amy Denise Rackliff.

Those left to cherish her life and memory include her loving daughter, Belinda “Pookie” Rackliff and husband John Wayne of Rocky Ford, and her sisters, Williemae Vann of Chewey, OK, Thelma Forrest of Tahlequah, and Lillie Sue Glover of Ft. Smith, AR. She lives on in her grandchildren, Amanda Foreman and husband Fred of Leach, OK, Amelia Spinks and husband Butch of Muskogee, OK, and Teresa “TK” Vann of Tulsa, OK. She also leaves four great grandchildren, Grant “Bub” Vann of Rocky Ford, Ayana Foreman of Leach, and Wyatt Spinks of Muskogee, Salah Vann of Tulsa, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins , church family, and a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.

Funeral services for Leona ”Pee-Wee” Evline Crittenden will be held on Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 at 2:00 PM, at Leach First Baptist Church with Brother Boolie Forrest officiating. She will be laid to rest at Crittenden Cemetery near Chewey, OK. Pallbearers include Bub Vann, Butch Spinks, Fred Foreman, Irene Vaughn, and DaVonte Ramsey. Her honorary pallbearers include John Wayne Rackliff, Wyatt Spinks, and Ayana Foreman.

She will have a visitation on Monday, at Reed-Culver Funeral Home beginning at 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM.

Online condolences for the family may be left at www.reedculver.com.