Loretta Elizabeth Hammons, 93, passed away on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Born November 20, 1929, in Peggs, Oklahoma to Clay Lewis and Ida Elizabeth Pann. She was raised by her grandmother Nannie Tahquette. She was sister to Juanita, Anabelle, and Frances. Married for 63 years to Clue Edwin Hammons, she was a proud military wife for 22 of those years. Loretta and Clue raised a family of four children, Anita Kay, Ida Mae, Loretta Camille, and David Edwin. The blessings of family have continued with eight grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren and 2 great, great grandchildren.

This extraordinary family legacy is especially remarkable in view of Loretta's early childhood of poverty, hardship, and the loss of much of her hearing at an early age. Orphaned at a young age she was a resident student at Sequoyah Orphan's Training School where her success came from a strong will and a determined heart. Most importantly, Loretta became a child of God by His grace as a teenager and this faith was both spoken and lived faithfully all her life. It was a faith expressed by her loving service as a Kindergarten teacher, director of a childcare organizations, and work with Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief organization where she served on the first childcare relief team. Her joy, compassion, and expertise in caring for children made her a favored children's conference leader, vacation Bible school leader and teacher, and much more.

Loretta let others see her faith in her willingness to feed, clothe, and support not only her own family but many others as well. In obedience to the Great commission she was involved in 2 new church plants Evergreen Baptist Church, Bixby, OK and Tribes Church, Argyle, TX

Loretta leaves behind a legacy of faith lived out loud in service to others. And the source of her strength was an unbroken faith captured in the words of her favorite hymn, "One Day" written by J. Wilber Chapman in 1910:

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely, forever;
One day He's coming: O glorious day!

Visitation will be 5-7pm, Thursday, February 2, 2023 and viewing 10am-12pm, Friday, both at Moore's Southlawn, 9350 E. 51st, Tulsa. Burial will be 2:30pm, Friday, February 3rd, at Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Fort Gibson, OK. Memorial Service will be 10:30 A.M., Saturday, February 4th at Evergreen Baptist Church in Bixby, OK. Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233