Orra Dixon was born on April 10, 1917 at Danville, Arkansas to Dave E. and Buella Belle (Taylor) Dixon. She passed away on Friday, July 18, 2014, at the Bell Avenue Nursing Center in Elk City at the age of 97. She was the oldest of 13 children. At the age of 4, she came to Broken Bow, Oklahoma with her family, where her father was in the oil field. When Orra was 8 years old, her father had a vehicle run over him, crushing his knee that disabled him.

They moved to Eakly, Oklahoma in 1927. At this time the family had grown to 5 living children. Orra worked as a farm laborer, helped her mother cook and care for the younger children. Therefore she did not get to attend school much and by the seventh grade had to completely drop out to help the family survive.

Between 1930 and 1934 the Dave Dixon family moved to the Leedey and Hammon area and Orra has remained in the Leedey vicinity since then. Two more children had been added to the family at this time.

While living in the Liberty Center area, at age 17, she met and married Remus Clem on August 6, 1934. They were married at Sayre, OK and made their home in the Shirley area where Remus owned land, raised cattle and farmed. They were very self-sufficient by raising a large garden, milking cows, raising chickens, butchering their own meat and canning. Those were the days before electricity came to the area.

On June 19, 1936, they were blessed with a child, Remus Jr. (Sonnie). In August 1936, Remus and Orra took three of her siblings into their home to raise. Orra's mother and father had both died within the year leaving Flora Mae, Dorothy and Leon as orphans. Orra's sister Nora took the older two siblings, Alice and Ruby and gave them a home. They then were blessed with their second child, Floyd Everett on August 24, 1937. They continued to live on the farm, and worked hard raising all five children.

In 1955 Remus and Orra moved to the Clem Homestead. They continued to farm and raise cattle until Remus' death in 1972.

Orra was active in her community; she was a member of the Canadian Club, where she entered many exhibits in the community and county fair. She joined the Leedey Methodist Church in 1951, and helped with many church dinners.
Lee Martin was a good neighbor and long time friend to everyone in the Canadian/Shirley community. He began courting Orra and they culminated their relationship in marriage on October 18, 1974, living on his farm and a home that he built in 1971. They remained there until 1981 when they purchased a house in Leedey. They enjoyed traveling, camping, square dancing, card playing and visiting relatives. Lee and Orra celebrated over 39 years together.

Orra was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Remus, sons Remus Jr. and Floyd, daughter-in-law, Sue Clem, 2 grandsons, Mark and Ricky Clem, all of her siblings. She is survived by husband Lee, sister-in-law, Betty Clem, brother-in-law, Bill Moler, grandchildren, Janise Bly, Jon Michael and wife Pam, and Terry Clem, granddaughter-in-law, Suzanne Clem. Her great-grandchildren are Andrea and Jose Blanco, Alexa, Autumn and Evan Clem, Jimmy and Jessica Bly, 3 great-grandchildren; Robbie and Zac Bly, William Joseph Blanco, also many nieces and nephews.

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