Alice Jean Flanagan of Greenville, Okla., was born Dec. 26, 1932, in San Angelo, Texas, the daughter of Atlee Spurgeon “A.S.” and Mary Frances “Pat” (Carter) Hendon. She married Carol Wayne Flanagan on Oct. 25, 1950, in Marietta, Love County, Okla., with whom she later had two daughters and three sons. She passed away at the age of 88, Tuesday, June 2, 2021, and was looking forward to being reunited with the love of her life, Carol Wayne, her brother, parents, and other family and friends in Heaven.
She spent her last days at the residences of her two daughters with her family surrounding her with love, assistance, prayer, and lots of hugs and kisses, visits and phone calls. Graveside services and interment will be Monday, June 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at Greenville Cemetery arranged by Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Marietta, Okla. Viewing for family and friends will be Sunday, June 6, 2021, from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Like her husband, Carol Wayne, Alice Jean lived her life serving God first, her family second, others third and herself last. She also taught her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have strong work and moral ethics, how to not only cook and sew and process the garden harvest, but how to do things like work on the farm, run a construction business and do things in an era that women did not typically do. What an example she set not only for all the boys in the family, but she showed the girls that they could do anything they set their mind to regardless of their gender. She raised strong sons and daughters, who then raised their children all to be strong regardless of gender. Male and female, most of the family knows their way around construction, power tools, farming and hard work.
She was always supportive of Carol Wayne’s home construction business and joined him by helping draw up blueprints, putting together estimates, procuring materials and helping run crews for the home building business that they created together. She became Carol Wayne’s study partner to obtain plumbing and electrical contractor licenses and obtain the licenses herself, resulting in her becoming the first licensed female plumbing contractor in the State of Oklahoma. Those who knew Alice Jean well knew she had a spitfire personality and would not have merely settled for obtaining the licenses, but she worked to excel at the trades—particularly plumbing.
When Alice Jean would go to Locke Supply for plumbing materials and a new employee was there, the other employees who knew Alice Jean would stand back and allow the new employee to take her order. When the new employee would inevitably question Alice Jean as if she didn’t know what she was doing, the other employees would stand back and laugh as they knew the new employee was about to be educated. Alice Jean was smart, sassy and could be stern when she needed to be, so one can just imagine how that went for the new employees.
Alice Jean loved to joke around with Carol Wayne and say smart remarks to him that would make him belly laugh so hard his shoulders would move up and down, his eyes would just twinkle and he would end with the biggest smile as if to say, “Isn’t she a dandy?” and sometimes he would say exactly just that. Alice Jean had a feisty spirit and Carol Wayne loved that about her.
Alice Jean’s personality was very giving, sweet, ornery and serious all rolled into one. Should any of her descendants wonder where they might have inherited their dry sense of humor or dogged determination, it was most likely from Alice Jean, also affectionately referred to by most of her grandchildren as MeMe. She would spoil them and be loving and gentle with them, but they knew they better listen to what she instructed them to do. She wanted to teach her family the right way to live, which included good ethics and minding your elders.
In addition to giving time to earning a living and nurturing her family, Alice Jean sang in the choir that her husband Carol Wayne led for decades at Eastside Baptist Church of Marietta, Okla., always supporting him in his endeavors. After retiring from building homes, she and Carol Wayne traveled with volunteer Christian building groups to build churches in various locations in the United States and attended many gospel music singing events. Doing for others was always important to Alice Jean and her life and actions reflected that.
In 2015, the Love County Frontier Days Committee chose to honor Carol Wayne and Alice Jean as that year’s Pioneer King and Queen of the annual weekend celebration. They rode in the back seat of a vintage car with a poster on the passenger side saying, “King and Queen – Carol Wayne & Alice Jean.” The poster on the driver side said, “A True Love Story Never Ends.”
On March 22, 2021, Carol Wayne was about to pass from his life to make his journey to Heaven. Alice Jean went in to visit him, told him she loved him, kissed him on the cheek, told him to “go sing in that choir” and that she would be there soon. If she could have gone with Carol Wayne right then, she probably would have. She gave her family the gift of her company for a little over two more months before she went to Heaven herself. In the meantime, she was trying to get to her love as fast as she could. As both Carol Wayne and Alice Jean knew Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they are now reunited in Heaven; and their true love story will never end, but instead last for eternity.
The family of Alice Jean would like to especially thank the caregivers who helped take care of both her and Carol Wayne in their final days and helped ensure not only their care and safety, but also that they had the most special final days possible.
Alice Jean was preceded in death by the love of her life, Carol Wayne; her brother, Major William Hendon, who gave his life for his country; her parents, A.S. and Mary Frances Hendon; great-great-grandchild, Teagan Prince; son-in-law, “The Late Great”, Steven Creecy and nephew, Daren Flanagan.
Alice Jean is survived by two daughters, Carolyn Gordon and husband Larry, and Charlotte Creecy; three sons, Bill Flanagan and wife Reba, David Flanagan and wife Mona, and Kevin Flanagan and wife Sherry; brother-in-law, G.W. Flanagan and wife Erma; sister-in-law, Virginia Bone and husband Johnny; 12 grandchildren, Sarah Gordon, Rebecca Sullivan and husband Brad, TaShonda Fortune and husband Greg, Misty McAfee and husband Steve, Raigan Smith and husband Derek, Cole Flanagan and wife Jessica, Thomas Creecy and wife Katy, Alison Gurley and husband Travis, Whittiny Barber and husband Nick, Laney Carroll and husband Jason, Tyler Prince, and Dylan Prince; 23 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren, along with nephews and nieces.
Casket bearers will be grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Arrangements under the direction of Watts Funeral Home.
