Annabelle Alice (Sober) Scott

Annabelle Alice Sober Scott was born at home in Fay, Oklahoma, March 11, 1921, to Lucinda Ann and Colonel Lafayette Sober, and died peacefully at her home in Troup, Texas September 7, 2022, at the age of 101.  Annabelle was the third of six children and was predeceased by Willard, Verdell, Frank, Louise, and Billy.  Annie graduated from Fay School and went to work in Jack Scott’s Grocery and Soda Fountain in Fay.  He liked to tease her that she had her eye on his son Clifford who managed the local grain elevator.  Annie loved to bake and one day brought a peach pie to the store.  Jack had a piece and allowed “it was pretty good, but if she wanted to catch his son, she’d better put some salt in the crust.”  She did, and whether it was the pie-crust or not, she caught Clifford’s eye.

It was war time and Clifford went into the Army.  Annie moved to Oklahoma City and lived with her brother Willard and his family, where she began working at Sears as an elevator “operator girl”,  complete with uniform and hat.  Later, Willard told her of a job opening at Tinker Field and after a stint of training at Chicago School of Aircraft Instruments, she became a “Rosie the Riveter” at Tinker calibrating altimeters for Army Air Force combat aircraft.  After four long years of WWII serving with the “Fighting 45 th”, Clifford returned to Fay and he and Annie married three days later on October 11, 1945, at her parents’ farm near Fay.  Daughter Beverly was born a year later and son J.C. in 1956.

Clifford returned to managing the local grain elevator, and Annie worked with him during harvest for nearly 40 years as bookkeeper and manager of daily wheat records.  Clifford and Annie retired from the elevator in 1983, and Clifford passed away in 1985.

At her beloved “House on the Hill” (built by her Dad, her Uncle Johnny, and men from the community, from lumber salvaged when the original wooden grain elevator was torn down) Annie always had a pot of coffee waiting for the daily  drop-ins like: Jim, Donnie, Tina, Beulah and Dale, Pickle and Bertie, Willie Joe, Donald, and many others.  Her dear friend and walking buddy of 60 years, Peggy Litsch, was a daily visitor until Annie moved to Troup in 2018.

Annabelle was a member of Eastern Star, and when she was Grand Matron was invited to a luncheon at the Skirvin Towers Hotel in Oklahoma City given by Mrs. J. Howard Edmondson, wife of the governor.  She got to invite a guest to join her, but when she stood to introduce her long-time friend, she was so nervous she couldn’t remember Willie Joe’s name.

A life long member of the Fay Methodist Church, after her move to Troup, she enjoyed attending church in Tyler where her daughter-in-law Katherine was pastor.  She made many new friends there who welcomed her as part of her new community.

Annabelle’s passion was baking: cakes, cookies, pies, cinnamon rolls.  But she was also quite the candy-maker and never missed a Christmas making candy with her sister Louise and niece Debbie.  One of her proudest moments was the time her Italian Cream Cake sold at the Community Center benefit auction for $450.  In her later years she enjoyed spending her time working jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, and word search, and was a cracker-jack Scrabble and RummiKub player.

Annabelle is survived by daughter Beverly Grant and son-in-law David of Houston, son J.C. and daughter-in-law Katherine Hallam Scott of Troup, Texas, grandson Josh Scott, granddaughter Katy Pakzad and husband Nima, great grandchildren Jett, Dash and Margot, sisters-in-law Bertie Sober and Laura Sober, and many much loved Sober nieces and nephews.  Surviving her also is her Colorado family: Eric and Kristin Hallam, children Rylan and Brenna, Seth and Lynn Hallam, children Lexi and Stella, and Kirk and Heidi Hallam.

While still in Fay, Annie looked forward to her Tuesday lunches at the Community Center, where she made many new friends and rekindled old friendships.  She requested that memorials be sent to Fay Community Center or Mt. Hope Cemetery Fund, both in care of Jan Stinson, 82804 Custer Avenue, Fay, Oklahoma, 73646.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

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