Rheba Joy (Thompson) Clifton

Rheba Joy Clifton of Oklahoma City, OK passed from this world on 12/10/21 at St. Anthony’s Hospital in OKC. She was known as Rheba Thompson in her childhood town of Carter Oklahoma. She was 80 years old. Her loving husband Prentice Arlis Clifton, (known as P.A or Arlis.) passed in 2010, and she’ll be inurned alongside him at Fort Sill National Cemetery, which is loosely planned for the spring.

Her memorial service will be at 2pm on Saturday 12/18/21 at OK Cremation and Funeral, 2415 North Walnut Ave, Oklahoma City, OK.

She is survived by four of their six children: Phillip Clifton, Anthony Thompson, Cynthia Flynn and November Clifton. Sheila and Steven Clifton are both deceased. She had 15 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren with one deceased, and 13 great-great grandchildren.

She was born in 1941 to Burt Oliver Thompson and Florene Alma Thompson. She is survived by three brothers: Farrell, Jerry and Jack Thompson, as well as her sister Peggy Rogers.

Rheba was an extraordinarily gifted gardener and artist.  We just can’t say enough about that. She was as brave in her artistic expression as she was in her life. She wasn’t afraid to try anything and was fearless in the face of any project. A proper and artistic woman, who also knew her way around power tools, home renovations, and garden landscaping.

In recent years she went to the local Senior Center and took several classes. She met a wonderful set of friends there and went on a few adventures. She also went swing dancing, or “boot scootin’ as she called it, at some country dance places in town. All in her 70’s we might add.

Rheba was also a storyteller, as anyone would know if they were around her for more than half an hour.  She frequently wrote or told poignant stories about her childhood, or even more so if they were hilarious.  She loved those soft moments, but she favored anything funny. She loved to laugh, and she had this uncanny memory for recalling the most embarrassing details about us, or more likely herself.  Her stories were told with her whole-body, starring plausible character voices and near perfect timing.

She wrote quite a few of those stories down, and we hold them as a treasure beyond measure. We’ll do our best to get them gathered and published in some way in time for the spring ceremony.

Rheba was just as comfortable in a flannel and jeans as she was in elegant attire with her matching handmade jewelry. Oh, and she could turn flannel into fancy in a flash.

She was beautiful and gentle, intelligent and kind, sassy and prim, poised and patient, fierce when she needed to be, and decidedly stubborn. We understand that last one came by way of her father.

On her last evening with us, she spoke of her Mother and Father and her wonderful memories of her life and faith as a young Christian. Sunday and Wednesday services, sometimes twice on Sunday, and every tent revival she could manage to find.

She was loved more than we can express, and we’ll miss her with an ache that will never end, but we’re comforted that she’s at peace in the hands of the Lord, and in the arms of her beloved husband.