Peggy Sawena Rains

Peggy Sawena Rains passed from this life on Wednesday, August 7th, 2024, at Clarehouse Hospice House in Tulsa, OK from complications of end stage kidney disease. She passed peacefully in no pain and was cared for by the most dedicated and compassionate staff and volunteers from Millenium Hospice Health and Clarehouse Hospice House. Her family will be forever grateful to them to have allowed her passing to have been in such beautiful care and surroundings.

Peggy Sawena Rains was born April 8, 1950, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was the third of six children born to Yahola and Beulah Simms. Her father was in the Air Force and the family would later move to St. Louis, Missouri and Pensacola, Florida with her father’s duty station changes before returning to Oklahoma upon his discharge from military service. Peggy went to school in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and was a graduate of the class of 1968. While in high school at Okmulgee she played clarinet in the marching band and was also a baton twirler. She went to college at Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, OK, graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She would teach in elementary schools in Lexington, OK; Chinle, AZ; Healdton, OK; Graham, OK; Lawton, OK and Cyril, OK for over 36 years before her retirement in Lexington, OK.

Teaching and educating children were some of the greatest joys of her life and she was honored as Teacher of the Year numerous times throughout her career. She especially enjoyed getting to teach the children that were the children of some of the first classes she taught. Some of her stories from her workday stresses ran from hilarious to heartbreaking; from the kid who painted his arms blue with his watercolors paints to the families who struggled financially that she tried to help out with school supplies. She was often requested to be a child’s home room teacher, and it was an honor she took seriously. She could probably tell you about every student she taught.

Peggy enjoyed many crafting hobbies such as crocheting, knitting, jewelry making, painting and making stained glass pieces. Many friends and family were lucky recipients of her handmade gifts. She loved to talk and could spend hours talking with her many dear friends, neighbors, coworkers and family. She loved many things: living in Lexington, her wiener dogs, things that were candy apple red, Oklahoma Sooners football, Lexington Bulldog Sports, crafting, feeding humming birds, feeding and watching winter birds especially cardinals, going to Bravos Mexican Restaurant in Purcell and being treated like a celebrity by Sergio, watching specials about Bigfoot, riding around in her black Chrysler Touring 300, collecting dairy cow figurines & memorabilia, and Native American art.

Peggy was a proud member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and Yuchi Tribes and was a descendant of Alec and Annie Berryhill. She belonged to the Wind Clan. She also enjoyed teaching about Oklahoma’s many Tribal nations.

She was a member of Lexington United Methodist Church and loved her church family dearly, many who have been with her through good and bad times. Just like everyone, she had many strengths and many flaws; just the way God made her. She was perfectly imperfect but was redeemed, loved and forgiven by her Savior.

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents and four sisters. She is survived by one daughter, Pamela West of Coweta; her brother and sister-in-law, Yahola and Mary Simms from La Jolla, California; niece, Kimberley Oldham and daughter CreCre; niece, Donnell Curtis and daughters Brandi and Kelli and son Robbie; nieces, Chelsy Hall and Alishia Hopkins, nephews, Taylor Shilling and daughter Mahiya, Patrick Freeland, Travis Stoner and wife Angie and son Tristian, and daughters Gabby and Sylvia, Todd West and wife Stephanie and sons Ty, Spencer and Trey, Shawn West and wife Tracy and daughter Ashley and son Shane, and nephew, Donny Chesser and wife April and sons Mason and Landree, and many grand nieces and nephews, cousins, and dear friends, Myra and Mike Pierson and Darla Delcambre.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to one of the following: school supplies to Lexington Elementary School, food donations to the Lexington United Methodist Church food bank, or Clarehouse Hospice House in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thank you to all of the health care teams from Norman Regional Hospital, St Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, Aspen Health and Rehab in Broken Arrow, Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Stroud Regional Hospital, Emerald Health Care Nursing Home, DaVita Dialysis Staff, and OSU Medical Select Specialty LTAC Staff. They all provided significant care along this journey. Your hard work, care and dedication were noted and appreciated more than you will ever know. To the many friends and neighbors, she relied on for so many kindnesses over the years, thank you for everything you did.

Visitation will be from 9:30 -10:30 AM on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, and the service will begin at 10:30 AM at Lexington United Methodist Church, 631 E. Ash St., Lexington, OK 73051. Rev. David Cook will officiate the service. A private family interment will be at Simms Family Cemetery in Sapulpa, OK.

Family and friends may share memories online at www.brownfamilycares.com. The family of Peggy Sawena Rains entrusted her care and services to Brown Funeral Home & Cremations, 210 S. Broadway, Coweta, OK 74429, 918-486-5515.