Rosella Vallandingham

Rosella Tuttle Vallandingham, age 95, long time Wewoka resident, peacefully left this earth surrounded by her family on July 22, 2021.

She was born January 18, 1926 in Mounds, OK and lived in the Mounds and Duck Creek area with her parents Pearl (Simons) and P.J. Tuttle until the oil boom brought them to Seminole County. Rosella attended elementary school at Kite School and at Maud. The family settled in Wewoka in the 1930’s where she attended Wewoka schools, graduating in 1944. She worked at Woolworth’s and JC Penney in downtown Wewoka, just a short walk from the family home.

Rosella went on her first of many dates with C.T. (Tommy) Vallandingham when she was 14 years old. They married December 7, 1945 in Wewoka upon Tommy’s return from service in the Army Air Corps. They were married for 52 years, until Tommy’s passing in 1997. For more than 20 years Rosella was a wife and stay-at-home mother. While in Bartlesville she served as church secretary, taught Sunday school, mission programs and helped in building and growing mission churches in the area.

She and Tommy returned to Wewoka in 1963 moving their three children near their grandparents. With the children in school, Rosella returned to the work force. She was a bookkeeper at JCPenney, then a teller at First Federal Savings and Loan in Wewoka. During her career at First Federal she was promoted to Vice-President, then Branch Manager of the Holdenville location. She retired in 1993 to care for Tommy, and to babysit the grandchildren.

Rosella’s favorite things to do included visiting with her family and neighbors, reading, watching the news on television and researching family genealogy. She was a talented artist and enjoyed tole painting and piecing quilts. She cherished her friendship and fellowship with the quilters who met at the Methodist Church. Although she rarely completed a project, the time she spent with those ladies was priceless. Her favorite vacation spot was Corpus Christi, although some of her most memorable travels were with her sister, Myra Jo, to Alaska, Washington D.C. and Salt Lake City. She was a member of the Larkspur Garden Club, and the Wewoka First Baptist Church. During her 58 years of church membership at FBC she taught Sunday school, was active in WMU, led GA’s and YWA’s, sang in the choir, and sponsored many youth trips to Falls Creek and Glorietta.

Rosella was preceded in death by her parents P.J. and Pearl Tuttle, husband C.T. (Tommy) Vallandingham, sister Myra Jo Tuttle Schaefer, and granddaughter Julie Beth Vallandingham.

She is survived by her children, Joe (and Glenda) Vallandingham of Bella Vista, AR; Dwayne Vallandingham of Ada, OK; Janie (and Kenny) Robinson of Ada, OK. Grandchildren Dr. Michael (and Tara) Vallandingham of Albuquerque, NM; Christina (and Kenny) Knect of Luling, LA; Dr. Robert Vallandingham of Sulphur, OK; Richard (and Holly) Vallandingham of Ada, OK; Jacob (and Janyce) Vallandingham of Hurst, TX; Jason Vallandingham of Elmore City, OK; Jarrod (and Dayna) Wood of Wewoka, OK; Kelsey (and Daniel) Williams of Ada, OK; and 18 great-grandchildren.

Funeral service for Rosella was held at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at First Baptist Church in Wewoka. Burial followed at Oakwood Cemetery under the direction of Stout-Phillips Funeral Home.