Charlotte Pauline Leavell-O’Kelley-Cooper, 96, of Cushing, OK, entered her eternal home on Monday March 3, 2025. Charlotte was born January 12, 1929, in Sheldon, MO., to Epha Paul “Peck” Leavell and Linda Evelyn McCallister.
“C” for Charlotte stands for the many “char”acteristics that she believed in. First and most important, she was a dedicated follower of Christ. A member of the First Christian Church in Cushing for many years, as were her mother and dad. She was a Chi-Rho and CYF leader at the FCC in Stroud. She accompanied the youth to Washington and NYC as a RegionalCYFgroupleader forthe“TouroftheGovernment” and NYC for sightseeing. Charlotte graduated from Cushing High School in 1946. She worked at the Oklahoma Natural Gas office in Cushing and later married Norman O’Kelley, also a graduate fromCushingHighSchool. They moved to Stroud and opened O’Kelley’s Drive-In.Thedrive-intookoveras her career for many years, making lifelong friends and an incredible amount of the crowd favorite... hamburgers, “the best in town.” Caring, comforting all added with “char”isma and “char”acter was Charlotte. Always speaking what was on her mind, exactly what she thought, and absolutely no sugar coating. Coordinating, she had to match. Her hat, gloves and most definitely her shoes, oh yes, those shoes! She had a passion for playing bridge. She was a member, the last living member, of the Stroud Ladies Lucky 13
P.Bridge Club. She loved it when it was her turn to host 12 of the most amazing ladies and friends. Charlotte loved school plays, and you would often find her at the high school helping with the scenery or just whatever they needed help with. She enjoyed reading, theater and dance; she was sure to put both of her children in dance classes. She and Norman were members of the Cushing Square Dance Club. OU football was a passion of hers. She thoroughly enjoyed visiting her son Larry at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity house before and after home games. May of 1980, she married Jerry Cooper and moved back to Sheldon, MO. Charlotte was extremely conservative. You could say that her motto was, “Waste not, Want not.” There was not a wasteful bone in her body. She was a naturalist, and she longed to be outside in God’s natural beauty. She would remind us, “We belong to the earth, the earth does not belong to us.” One of her favorite times of the year was when the Red Buds started to bloom, she knew it was moral mushroom hunting season. Her love for water skiing was long-lasting as well. She claimed that the last time she skied was at age 80. We aren’t so sure about that. Later in her life, she volunteered at the Cushing hospital, the Silver Lining and the Cushing Senior Citizens Center, just to name a few. You would find her puzzling in the back room of the center. She liked to work her brain by working jigsaw puzzles. Charlotte is preceded in death by both of her parents, E.P. “Peck” Leavell and Linda E. McCallister Leavell. Sister, Ardith Ann Mahoney. Niece, Linda “Shawn” Casey and grandson JaemanTylerMatherly. She is survived by her son Larry O’Kelley of Oklahoma City. Daughter, C’Ann Matherly and husband Galan of Tuttle. Grandson Brandon O’Kelley and wife Amanda of Edmond. Granddaughter Michal-Lynn O’Kelley of San Diego, CA. Grandson Seth Matherly and wife Kayla of Yukon. Three great granddaughters BraeleiO’Kelley of Edmond, Madelyn and Mia Matherly of Yukon. One nephew, Gregory Bullock of Kansas City, KS. Great niece Elizabeth Jackson and husband Phillip ofKansasCity,KS. Two great great nephews, Tyler and Alexander Jackson of Kansas City, KS, as well as extended family and a host of friends.
Arrangements were entrusted to the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home. A celebration of Charlotte’s life was held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with Pastor Jim Wilhelm officiating.
Condolences may be sent to the family via an online guestbook at www. palmermarlerfh.com