Leveta “Bede” McLemore

Graveside services were held on Friday, December 4, 2020, at 1:00 pm at the Corn MB Cemetery in Corn, OK, for Laveta McLemore Hoock who passed away on Wednesday, November 25, 2020.

Laveta “Bede” McLemore was born three miles southeast of Seger Colony, Oklahoma, on May 9, 1926. She was the sixth of eight children born to Burl Eli and

Clara Ellen (Heral) McLemore. At a young age, Bede started to school at the Cobb Creek one room school with her older sister and brother. Meanwhile her three oldest sisters, Floy, Ina, and Nova attended Colony High School and beings there were no school buses at the time, the younger three, Mutt, Virginia, and Bede, had to walk 1½ miles to Cobb Creek and the older three girls drove the family car to Colony. The next year the family moved into Colony where all the children attended school.

Bede graduated from Colony High School in May 1944, then moved to Oklahoma City to live with her older sister.

She took the Civil Service test that was offered at the Federal Building and was immediately employeed at Tinker Air Force Base. Bede felt special because of her small size, because she was able to do work inside the airplanes where normal sized people didn’t fit!

She worked at Tinker for two years before quitting to come back to Corn to get married.

In March of 1945, Bede was introduced to Herbert Hoock from Corn, by mutual friends and they seemed to be meant for each other, and neither of them ever dated anyone else after that. On June 30, 1946, Herbert and Laveta were united in holy matrimony by Rev. Paul Townsend, minister of the Presbyterian Church of Colony.

The couple moved to Corn, Oklahoma, where they enjoyed 60 plus wonderful years together. Herb and Bede were saved and baptized in 1949. They were both active in the Baptist Church of Corn.

The Hoocks were never blessed with children of their own but seemed to be always surrounded by them.

They both taught Sunday School, Daily Vacation Bible School, were Youth sponsors for several years and worked at summer camp.

They babyset for pastors, school teachers, or anyone who didn’t have grandparents living locally. Bede also served as mentor at Washita Heights for five years and became so attached to each child that she worked with.

Bede was always giving special care to someone. While growing up, she was the youngest of five girls and her summers were spent helping her older sisters care for their children, while they helped their husbands with their farming operations.

When she was ten years of age, she spent considerable time in the kitchen making biscuits, bread, and pies to help her mother with the daily cooking.

Bede’s professional life after she and Herb were married entailed working for H. E. Hubert, CPA, in Cordell, for six years, had the H & R Block Tax Service in Cordell for an additional 6 years, and worked summers for 10 years for the Farmers Coop in Corn then was asked to work full time and she did for 18 years until her retirement. She always enjoyed her work at the coop because she loved working with people.

After Bede retired, she started raising Boston Terriors. She loved her dogs and had a good income from it. After 15 years, she gave up her dog business in order to take better care of her husband who had been disabled for many years.

Bede loved family gatherings after she retired from the coop. They hosted a Hoock decoration day pot luck dinner at their big garage. The Hoock Christmas dinner each year was special. Birthday dinners together with the brothers and sisters was a way to keep in touch.

Laveta’s family was smaller but when her brother J. D. McLemore family had a get together, they wouldn’t have not thought of not included Herb and Bede, usually at Fort Cobb lake at their lake house.

The Melvin Little family also always included Herb and Bede at their gatherings.

Bede’s “outlook on life” was contagious with all who met her. She could always look at a situation and the glass were half full instead of half empty! She would always have a joke to tell or wise crack to say to get a laugh from you!

As long as Bede lived at home, she was always baking bread, cookies, or brownies or stirring up a pot of homemade jelly using her secret recipes, then giving her fruits of her labor to friends and strangers...whoever crossed her path of life.

Bede missed her Herbie immensely and looked forward to the day that she would join him and her many family members that predeceased her for that final great reunion!

Laveta was predeceased by her husband Herb, her parents, siblings Floy, Ina, Nova, Winford “Mutt”, Virginia, Kenneth, and J.D. “Jr”., and numerous nieces and nephews.

Laveta leaves to mourn sisters-in-law, Mandy Hoock and Bert and Floyd Dalke. Numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, great great nieces and nephews, and great great great nieces and nephews, cousins, and many, many friends!

The family thanks all friends and neighbors who helped care for Bede from Encompass Home Health of Weatherford to Brookdale Assisted Living Center of Weatherford and finally at Corn Heritage Village in Corn.

Date: Friday, December 4, 2020, 1:00 pm at Corn Cemetery, Corn, OK

Pastor: Pastor Tim Sandy, Music: Men’s quartet from Corn MB Songs: I Thank God for the Lighthouse, and He Touched Me

Pallbearers: Monte Little, Greg Little, Matt Little, Kevin Little, Brian McCullough, Mark McCullough

Honorary paulbearers: Carl Calhoun, Mike McLemore

Funeral Home: Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.