Icie Mae Watson

Icie Mae Watson, 97, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2026, at Corn Heritage Village inCorn, Oklahoma. She leaves behind a lifetime of love, faith, family, hard work, and memories that will be treasured by all who knew her.

Icie Mae was born in Washita County, Oklahoma, to Onzolo Stanton Watson and Grace Quintella Watson. She was the next-to-youngest of 12 children. Her family later moved to Leedey, Oklahoma, where she grew up and where she would meet the love of her life, Odell Watson.

Icie Mae and Odell met as children in Leedey and eventually fell deeply in love. She once jokingly said she wasn't changing her last name, so she would simply have to find a Watson from a different family. She did just that. The two were married on August 10, 1947, at Odell's family's farm. Their home had been blown away by a tornado, but nothing could blow away the love they shared. They remained devoted to one another for 63 years, until Odell's passing.

Together they raised two children, Gary Odell and Linda Kay. Icie Mae worked beside Odell on the farm and was a woman who could do just about anything. She was a wonderful cook, could sew like a tailor, and had a special passion for making quilts. She belonged to the Aledo Quilting Club and spent many winters with a quilt in the frame in her home. Her quilts were made with patience, love, and care-much like the life she lived.

Family was the center of Icie Mae's world. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, affectionately known to them as "Gran." She was so proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and one of her greatest joys was having them come to visit. She was a giving and gentle woman, known by so many as simply one of the sweetest ladies they had ever known.

Icie Mae also loved to play cards. She and her sisters gathered every month for their card games, and it was serious business-often lasting all day. Family reunions at the Watson farms were another highlight of her year. The hillside would be filled with family, laughter, stories, and plenty of food. Those gatherings created memories that her family will carry with them for generations.

Icie Mae and Odell also enjoyed their weekly gatherings with their very special friends, Doyle and Dorothy and Jerry and Carolyn. They played dominoes and cards together every week and always enjoyed eating at Pizza Hut. These simple weekly gatherings were filled with friendship, laughter, good food, and memories that remained special to Icie Mae throughout her life.

After Odell passed away, Icie Mae and two dear friends made a weekly trip to Elk City to shop and eat. They were quite the crew, and the stories from those outings became family treasures in their own right. Icie Mae was the last living of the "Olden Girls," a group of three women whose love and strength helped hold their families together.

Above all else, Icie Mae loved the Lord. She was a faithful member of the Leedey Church of Christ, where she taught Sunday School for many years and served in every capacity she could. Her faith was not simply something she talked about-it was evident in the way she lived, loved, served, and cared for others. Those who knew her saw the Lord's love reflected in her life.

Icie Mae was preceded in death by her husband, Odell Watson; her parents, Onzolo and Grace Watson; brothers Troy, Carl, Foy, Roy, and Ricky; sisters Fannie Bell, Velma, Vera, Vesta, and Dora B.; and her beloved grandson, Micah Minor.

She is survived by her son, Gary Odell Watson and his wife, Chrys, of Leedey, Oklahoma; her daughter, Linda Kay Minor and her husband, Kell, of Florence, Alabama; her sister, Bette Jo Mashburn of Durant, Oklahoma, who at 100 years old is the last surviving sibling; grandchildren Amber and Micah Regier, Katy and Jay Haddock, Kit and Kacie Watson, Jeremy and Morgan Minor, Rebecca and Jon Burgess, and Ashlyn and Philip Atigre; and 14 great-grandchildren: Jackson and Isabel Haddock; Alex, Race, and Beckham Minor; Kyа, Audrey, and Hunter Watson; Charlie Kate and Collins Burgess; Henry and Rigby Regier; and Aston and Clare Atigre. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews, who were an important part of her extended family and her life.

Icie Mae's life was a gift to her family and to everyone fortunate enough to know her. She loved deeply, gave generously, worked faithfully, laughed often, and kept her faith through all of life's seasons.

She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and servant of the Lord.

She will be deeply missed, especially by her family, but the love she gave them will remain with them always.

Memorial donations may be made to the
West View Boys Home
c/o Shaw Funeral Home
P.O. Box 276
Vici, OK, 73859.