Martha Clawson

Martha Nolan Clawson, nee Buckner was born Feb. 15, 1942 in Alexandria, Virginia. Since then she has lived in many places across the continental U.S., as well as in Hawaii and Japan.

She finished high school in Hawaii and attended 2 years of college there.

Her first marriage was to Jim Hastings from Apache, OK, now deceased, and her only child Jonni Sue Christensen was born of that union. She married Max Clawson in 1980, divorced in 1989.

During her working years she held various positions in hospital administration, and was also business office supervisor at Southwestern Bell Telephone. She owned and operated a retail liquor store in Lawton, OK and 3 clubs in Guyman, OK.

After marrying farmer-rancher Max Clawson, she began the Martha Clawson Donkey Farm in Gruver, TX. In 1986, as part of the 150th anniversary of Texas’ statehood, she joined a wagon train and traveled around the state for 6 months in a wagon pulled by donkeys.

Following her divorce from Max, she went to Las Vegas and worked in various locations including the Mirage, Computer City, and Gray Line Tours.

She wrote Trails and Tales of the Texas Wagon Train, The Casino Business Through the Eyes of Change, and various magazine articles. Her favorite, though, was a children’s book, Do You want to Be a Part of my Zoo?

Returning to Lawton, she began Freckles the Clown’s Crazy Critters Petting Zoo, which was very popular throughout the surrounding communities and states.

She became ill in 2012, and what was originally diagnosed as pneumonia subsequently turned out to be lung cancer. For some time, with the help of Lovejoy Hospice, she was lovingly and unselfishly cared for by her sister, Mary Williams Hawkins in her home in Grants Pass, OR. That care was continued in the home of other church members until her death on September 4, 2016.

She came to know the Lord in 2014 and was baptized in the Rogue River, Grants Pass, through the ministry of All The World Christian Center. Most recently, she was attending Calvary Crossroads Church in Grants Pass.

Although she was initially given only 3 months to live after her diagnosis, she lived close to four more years by God’s grace. Everyone who met her was drawn by her cheerful spirit and warmth. She was a loving extrovert and we will all miss her.

Loving authored by Anita Covey and Martha Clawson!

A memorial service will be 4:00 p.m., Monday, September 12, 2016 at Hull & Hull Funeral Directors.