Nora W. Hixson McCleery was born February 21, 1933 in Shattuck, Oklahoma to Ernest and Mary Thompson Hixson. She passed from life on May 26, 2011 at the age of 78 years at Woodward Regional Hospital.
Nora grew up, along with her two sisters, around Harmon, Oklahoma. The family worked at various farms including the Davison Ranch and the Berriman Ranch, moving to each one as needed. They also lived in Packsaddle, Grand and Harmon. She started her public education in Arnett, then Lone Star School for two years before transferring to Vici. She attended Vici Public School up until the middle of her senior year when she was married to her sweet heart and they went to Enid, Oklahoma where she graduated.
Nora was united in marriage on November 2, 1950 to Jack McCleery. They enjoyed a double wedding ceremony with their good friends Niles and Jerry Young in Woodward. The couple made their home in Enid, where their first son David Leon was born. In 1955, they packed up their new family and moved to Eugene, Oregon to be close to her sister Lorene and her husband Bob. This move was the first of many for the young couple who loved to travel. While in Oregon, their daughter Beverly Jean was born. With their family complete, Nora worked as a professional dress maker and in the local fabric store. In 1971, they once again packed up and headed back to Oklahoma. They settled back in the Harmon area. By this time David had joined the U S Air Force and was overseas. Beverly finished up her education in Vici. Nora worked at the Vici Nursing Home and McAlary's drug store. The couple then purchased the café and ran it. In 1987, they were on the move again, this time just the two of them. They went to Colorado where they operated a Gas-O-Mat. They retired to Harlingen, Texas in 1989. However, retired life wasn't for Nora. Before long she was job hunting. She found some storage units that needed a manager and before long she had found another one for Jack to run. They spent four years in south Texas during which time grandsons, Mark and James, enjoyed spending summers. In 1993, after all of their travels, they decided it was time to come home. They moved back to Vici. Of course, still unable to do nothing, they immediately went to work for Melvin and Beverly at Sweet's Short Stop. During this time, Nora became known as "Grandma Nora" to every kid in town. She took great pleasure in ALL of her grandkids and was always excited to hear from any of them in the years after.
Nora enjoyed sewing, working in her yard, planting flowers, wine making, playing with Indians at the casinos, visiting with family and friends, and playing Bejeweled or keeping up with Facebook on her computer. Nora always tried to go dancing at least three times a week, the last time being just thirteen days before her death. She was just not one for sitting around. If she heard someone say they were going somewhere she would just say "what time". Any Sunday that she was not on a trip with a group of friends or family, she was attending the First United Methodist Church in Vici, which she was very proud of always encouraging her grandkids and great-grandkids to come with her.
Those preceding Nora in death are her loving husband Jack, in 2007, her cherished son, David, in 1997, both her parents, brother-in-law Bob Humberg, and brother and sister-in-law Ralph and Wana Mae Young.
Those left to cherish her memory are her daughter Beverly Sweet and husband Melvin of Vici; sisters, Lorene Jackson and husband Bob of Woodward, Oklahoma and Geneva Humberg of Shelton, Washington; grandchildren, James Sweet and wife Randi of Vici, Mark Sweet of Woodward, Christy Perry of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Denton McCleery of Elk City, Oklahoma and Dena Meneses of Vici; her best friends and brother and sister-in-law, Eddie and Sylvia Miller of Derby, Kansas; sister-in-law Roma Yock and husband Leroy of Vici; her special friend Jim Pierson whom she enjoyed spending time with; nine great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, other family and many, many friends.
Nora was a one of a kind gal. You never saw her without a smile on her face and a kind word to say. Her many friends, her entire extended family, her grandkids, and her daughter Beverly were absolutely her pride and joy. She would love for anyone to show up to visit with her and always ran straight to the kitchen to get something cooking.