Mary Francine Byrd Camden

Funeral services for Mary Francine Byrd-Camden will be held on Friday, January 9th, 2015 at 2:00 PM in the Reed-Culver Chapel with Reverend David Weins officiating. Visitation will be on Thursday, January 8th, 2015 from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM at Reed-Culver Chapel. Interment will be held at Stilwell City Cemetery. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.reedculver.com.

Mary Francine Byrd-Camden, or Francine to her family and friends, was born on August 28th, 1943 in Bunch, OK, the daughter of Andy and Gladys (Kimble) Byrd. She grew up with one sister, Joyce and one brother, David, attended school and graduated from Stilwell High School, then attained her Teaching Degree from NSU. She worked hard at being the best Special Needs Educator and Administrator of Special Needs in the Tahlequah Public Schools she could be, and each student was very special to Francine. She was the proud mother of three children, Donald Ray, Dennis Allan, and Teresa. They were everything to Francine. On May 24th, 1974, she married the love of her life and her best friend, Rockey Camden. Francine was a gifted seamstress making her families clothes, suits and shirts. She was an avid reader, it didn’t matter what kind of book, Francine loved to read. She was quiet, and reserved by nature, contemplative but observant to everything around her. Rockey and Francine spent a great deal of time in Arizona before returning to the Tahlequah, OK area to retire. She battled arthritis that made it difficult to do much with her hands, but Francine always did the best she could and never stopped trying. Her health bean to fail her and she passed from this life on Sunday, January 4th, 2015 in Tulsa, OK. Francine was 71 years old. She will be greatly missed by her family and the many students who excelled with her help.

She is preceded in death by her infant son, Leslie Joe, her parents, and her grandparents.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Rocky Camden of the home in Tahlequah. She leaves three children, Donald Camden and wife Marla of Ft. Gibson, OK., Dennis Camden of Phoenix, AZ, and Teresa Lewis and companion Darryl Lawson of Manford, OK. She is survived by her brother, David Byrd and wife Katherine of Aiken,South Carolina and her sisters, Joyce Simmons of Dallas, TX and Betty Hayne of Lone Star, TX. Her legacy lives on in her seven grand children as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and a host of students and loved ones.