Tabitha Laverne DeLay

Graveside service for Tabitha Laverne DeLay will be 2:00p.m., Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at Floral Haven Cemetery, Broken Arrow.  Tabitha passed away at her home on uesday, May 21, 2024.  She was 90.

Tabitha Laverne (McKinzie) DeLay was born on January 12, 1934, in rural Bushyhead, Oklahoma.  She was the daughter of James Wesley McKinzie and Lela Mae (Lewis) McKinzie, the 7th of eleven children.  Tabitha attended Sequoyah Schools, Bushyhead Schools, and graduated from Chelsea High School in 1952, where she enjoyed playing basketball.

Growing up, she enjoyed singing with her sisters, Atha, Irma, and Mae.  They would travel around different venues and perform.  Their first song they sang together was, "You Are My Sunshine".  As she got older you could hear her randomly sing, "Coal Miner's Daughter".

Tabitha married Harold Clinton DeLay on November 24, 1952, in Bremerton, Washington.  In 1954 they moved to Tulsa, when Harold went to work for Rainbow Baking Company as a maintenance engineer.  They moved to Catoosa in 1971.  She was a Cub Scout Den Mother, Home Room Mother, and a Baseball Mom, she never missed Ron's games.  She was also a great homemaker.

Tabitha was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Harold Clinton DeLay; her parents, sisters, DeLois McClish, Atha Raffety, and Irma Dean Harrison, brothers J.W. McKinzie, and R.L. McKinzie; brothers-in-law, Joe Harrison, J.L. Harrison, Johnny Raffety, Jim Craig, and LeRoy McClish; sister-in-law Earlene Hunter McKinzie, daughter-in-law Amanda Clary Delay, and stillborn twin brothers Noel and Lowell.

Those family members that survive include her children Ron DeLay of Claremore and Anita Ruggles and husband Tracy of Coweta; sisters Carmen Harrison of Claremore, Mae Craig of El Cajon, California, brother Roger McKinzie of Montreal, Canada.  She is also survived by five grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren and numerous other extended family members and friends.

Mom's favorite prayer was "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.  The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.