Private family funeral service for Claudette Madolyn (Yancey) Culver will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2020 in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Dr. Sonja Tobey, Pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Lawton, Oklahoma officiating.

Private family burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens.

The public may view Tuesday at the funeral home from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The service may be viewed by following the livestream link at www.beckerfuneral.com or by visiting the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Facebook page.

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak a more extensive celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Claudette Madolyn (Yancey) Culver, 84, Lawton, passed away Saturday, April 25, 2020 peacefully at her home in Lawton. Claudette was born on April 9, 1936, in Austin, Texas to Wilfred Doran and Julia Madolyn (Schroeder) Yancey. She attended elementary and junior high school in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1953. Following her high school graduation, she continued her education at the University of North Texas. In 1957, she graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. In 1970, she graduated with a Master's Degree in Education.

In 1956, Claudette married Jack Douglas Lassiter, and they made their home in North Richland Hills, Texas. She began her teaching career at Browning Heights Elementary and went on to teach at O. H. Stowe Elementary for 10 years. During their marriage, they had two daughters, Sherry and Vicki. In 1969, Claudette married Major Clayton Eugene Culver. During his military career, they lived in several military bases while he completed flight school. They were stationed at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma in 1971. Shortly after, the two welcomed their daughter; Juli Claudette began teaching for Lawton Public Schools in 1975. She taught at Cleveland Elementary for one year and then spent the next 21 years teaching at Almor West Elementary. While there, she taught first grade, sponsored the Pep Club and Cheerleading team, helped coach several sports teams, directed the performing arts group, and led many other organizations. She served as a PTA officer at Almor West Elementary, Eisenhower Junior High School, and Eisenhower High School. She retired from Lawton Public Schools in 1996.

She loved to travel and spent a lot of time seeing the world with friends and family during her retirement. She enjoyed taking her grandchildren on road trips throughout Oklahoma. After four years of retirement, she was called back to teach reading sufficiency part-time at Whittier Elementary. She was reluctant to return to the classroom at first; however, she was up for the challenge once again. She taught there for two years and then moved to Pat Henry Elementary to teach guided-reading and later became a certified tutor for the school. Altogether, she was with Lawton Public schools for over forty years. She loved many students over the years and enjoyed every minute spent with her co-workers.

Claudette was a Christian, and she was an active member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church. She sang in the choir for over twenty years, taught Sunday school, worked with the youth group, played piano for programs, served on the Art Show committee, and volunteered with Vacation Bible School each summer. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Iota, Phi Kappa Gamma, Oklahoma Retired Teachers Association, Red Hat Chili Peppers, and the Order of the Eastern Star. She spent many days volunteering in the Military Welcome Center at the Lawton Regional Airport.

She is survived by her three daughters: Sherry Havron, Vicki Apple and husband James, Juli Cox and husband Anthony, all of Lawton; Grandchildren: Dustin Havron of Lawton; Tyson Havron of Indianapolis; Indiana;  Jeremy Wagner and wife Chasity of Lawton; Shelby Smittle and husband Wade of Edmond, Oklahoma; Kylie and Kyndall Erricson of Lawton;  Adam Delciello-Cox of Loganville, Georgia; Bryce Cox of Baltimore, Maryland; and great-grandchildren: Makayla, Makynzie, and Jaxon Wagner, Landon Smittle, and Luke Havron. She loved her family deeply, and that love was returned abundantly. She was blessed with a very tight-knit family and she spent as much time as possible with them on trips, at the lake, at ball games, or just at home. Family always came first to her no matter what. Her family was the love of her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and her former spouses, Jack Douglas Lassiter Jr. and Clayton Culver.

In lieu of flowers or plants, the family ask that a memorial contribution be made to the LPS Foundation in the name of Claudette Madolyn Culver to assist a student who will attend Cameron University seeking an education degree. The family believes this would best honor their mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, as she was a lifelong educator and touched the lives of so many through her forty years teaching. Contributions in her memory can be sent to the LPS Foundation, PO Box 2323, Lawton, OK 73502.