If the world was watching as closely as our little family was, they noticed on Saturday, May 23, the light around us seemed to dim, but with the rising of stars that night, a new star brightened the skies. For on this date, our beautiful Caitlyn Belle departed this plane and soared into the stars leaving us to miss her presence on this earth.
According to Ecclesiastes, “There is a time for everything, and a season for everything under the heavens.” If this be true, then it is our time to miss her being among us, a time to hold her in our hearts, a time to love her always, and await our time to soar into the stars with her where she has undoubtedly joined her Mamaw Linda and a host of family members who have gone before her on the next great adventure.
Honestly, there is so much about time and purposes that I do not understand, but I do know that with love all things can be endured, and she was and is greatly loved. But with love comes sadness in separation, but memory, sweet memory keeps all love alive and with us in our hearts.
Her light first came into this realm, born and the second daughter of Bill and Regina Whisenhunt on April 19, 1995 and memories were born with her, memories that will never fade away during our time of separation.
When Cait was known to be a girl and on her way to join us, her mom and dad told her sister Cassidy she would be getting a little sister named Caitlyn and they needed help picking a middle name, and with great excitement, Cass announced her sister’s name would be Caitlyn Pocahontas Whisenhunt. With grace and love Gina wrote the name out for Cassidy to show her how long that name would be to write and in an act of kindness to her soon-to-be little sister writing hand, Cass agreed to pick another name, Belle, her second favorite princess and a memory was born, Caitlyn Belle Whisenhunt.
Caitlyn was so, so very much to her family. Her love of all animals led her to work with her Aunt Marie Risner in Maries pet shop and grooming while her love of flowers brought her to working with her Aunt Jane Wallace at her floral shop, where both aunts treasured spending time with her.
A multitude of Risners, Whisenhunts, and Wallaces awaited her arrival. Soon a younger sister, Chloe and cousins Sawyer, Jacob and Abby would join in the mele with dozens of other cousins, but one cousin became more a sister, a running buddy, the daughter of Caitlyn’s aunt Misty Wallace Jones known affectionately to Cait as Sissy: Savannah, and that was the start of quite a pair. Growing up, people often mistook Savannah for Regina’s child and Caitlyn for Misty’s. They spent countless hours together playing at Mamaw Linda and Papaw Leonard’s in the cedar trees, daring each other to go in the basement, tossing toys down the laundry chute, never getting tired of watching the same Disney movies with Chloe. Or rolling each other around in giant buckets at Granny and Papaw Speers place, playing computer games all day long, listening to Cassidy tell scary stories, exploring outside and falling asleep to the music Granny played.
Growing to be teens, heading for college Cait and Savannah even lived together for a while with their dogs Thor, Caitlyn’s ancient Chihuahua and Romeo, Savannah’s old dachshund but life leads on to life and they turned to facetiming and phone calls until they would fall asleep, sending each other videos on a daily basis, always checking on her “nephew”, Savannah’s son Alaric whom she insisted call her Auntie Cait, and always saying, “I love you.” Before hanging up.
Caitlyn loved a lot. She loved her family. She loved her Mamaw Linda’s cinnamon toast. She loved anything pumpkin spiced flavored, banana caramel pie from Sandwich Etc., cherries, Keanu Reeves, Juicy Couture perfume, scary movies, the TV show “New Girl”, being outside and she loved flowers (especially roses). She also shared the love of Christmas, just like her mom.
Like her Aunt Jane, she hated spiders and did not care for heights. All on her own, she greatly disliked open-toed shoes, mustard, people being in her personal space, and airplanes. She was not fond of being too deep out in the ocean, and she despised the feel of wet cotton.
Caitlyn was, in short, a beautiful soul whose smile will be missed terribly but she will be forever treasured for the time she gave us on this swiftly spinning rock of a planet. Those of us who are still here and knew her best will love and remember her always. In her comingled families there are those whose titles may be unclear to some but not within the family. Within the family that’s exactly what we all are – Family.
Her Mom and Dad, Bill and Regina Whisenhunt; grandparents John and Kathy Speers; grandfather, Leonard Wallace; sisters Cassidy and her partner Mark Schrock, Chloe and her partner Stone McCauley; sister/cousin/person Savannah Davidson with her husband Tanner and son Alaric. Her Aunt Jane and Uncle Ronnie Wallace; Aunt Marie and Uncle Wendell Risner; cousin/Aunt Sherri Williams with her husband, Bill Williams; her “Sissy”/second mom/Aunt Misty Wallace; along with cousins: Sawyer, Jacob, Abby, Matthew, Dakota, Jesse, Tanner, Mike, Jerry, Jack, Mark and literally dozens more scattered across the globe; fiancé, Devin Nelams; and last but definitely not least, her beloved companion of over thirteen years, the mighty Thor the wonder Chihuahua.
A family visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, 2026 at The Gordon Center, located at 305 N. Second Ave. in Durant, Oklahoma.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026 at The Gordon Center with Don Hyde officiating. A graveside will follow at Gethsemane Cemetery in Caddo, Oklahoma. Mark Schrock, Tanner Davidson, Billy Jones, Sawyer Jones, Andrew Speers and Stone McCauley will serve as pallbearers.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Gordon Funeral Home, located at 221 N. Third Ave. in Durant.
Phone: (580) 916-9090