Wilma Lea Clifft Chappell was born to Willie (Bill) Clifft and Francis Dalrymple Clifft at Harmon, Oklahoma on August 22, 1938. She attended Arnett Public Schools, and dated Leroy Harper while in high school. Though it didn't work out at the time, she described Leroy as the first love of her life. On December 26, 1955, she was united in marriage to Leon Ernest Chappell in Clayton, New Mexico.

Following her marriage, Wilma moved to Pampa, Texas for a while, before moving to Colorado for a time, before returning to Darrouzett, Texas, where Leon reenlisted in the Air Force. Their first child, Pennie Lea Chappell, was born on July 15, 1956, in Vici, Oklahoma while Leon was stationed at Tinker Air Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. From there, the family moved to Abilene, Texas, where Kathy Jo Chappell was born on October 10, 1957. Leon was then stationed at Hawaii, and Wilma had a 15-month-old, and a 6-week-old baby, and was flying for the first time on an airplane. It was quite the experience, as it took all night and day to get to Hawaii, with a layover in Los Angeles. In Hawaii, they lived in four different houses.

On October 22, 1958, Lyndon Scott Chappell was born in Hawaii. In November of 1960, Wilma and family returned home to Fort Worth, Texas. In 1962, Leon was sent to Germany, and Wilma returned to Vici for a while. She was allowed to join him in Germany in August of that year, and Wilma would unfortunately lose a baby over there.

They went from there to Spain, where they spent over three years. From there, they moved to San Antonio, Texas, where Kathy had heart surgery and the last baby was born, Leon Ernest Chappell, III on August 2, 1966. When Leon was 10 months old, the family was sent to Pakistan, where they lived off base for a time, before moving on base where they had everything they needed on 20 acres of land. They would return to the United States in 1968 to San Angelo, Texas, before being sent to Frankfurt, Germany, where the family would remain until Leon's retirement in August of 1972.

Wilma and family moved to Vici, where they remained until 1976, before they moved again to Woodward, Oklahoma. She and her family lived there until 1980, before she moved to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and from there she moved to Jay, Oklahoma, where she and Leon operated a café.

Following this in 1984, Wilma returned alone to Vici, looking for a fresh start. As fate would have it, she would run into Leroy Harper, whom was also available at the time, and the two went together until Leroy's passing in 2004.

Wilma was a housewife. She also worked as a nurse's aide, worked at the TGY, underwear factory, and was a cook at the Vici Café. She was baptized in 1962 at the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Francis Clifft; grandparents on both sides; sisters, Gloridene Hunter, and Clydene Kopf; brothers Billy Clifft, Darrell Clifft, and Roland Earl Clifft.

She is survived by her children, Pennie Lea, Kathy Jo, Lyndon Scott, and Leon Ernest, III; sister, Charlotte Feil; 9 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; 4 step-grandchildren; and a host of loved ones and friends.

Memorials may be made to the:

Kidney Foundaton

c/o Shaw Funeral Home

PO Box 276

Vici, OK 73859