Ramona Faye Avery

Funeral services for Ramona Faye (Payne) Avery, 74, of Tulsa, OK, were held Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at Johnson Funeral Chapel in Sperry, OK. Mr. Phillip Johnson officiated. Honorary Casket bearers were Michael Hookey, Brandon Burcher Chezley Davis Dakota Burcher, Devyn Burcher, Trace Kindle, Berina Smith, and Kasandra Burcher.

Ramona was born September 25, 1945 in Muskogee, OK, to Marvin Lee and Viola Florence (Williams) Payne. She passed away March 2, 2020 in Tulsa, OK.

Ramona was best known as a homemaker and mom, that was what she loved. She was a waitress for a short time but went from that to be a secretary for State Senator Bob Shatwell in the 1970. She then went on to enjoy being a wife, mother, sister and friends. Ramona loved watching her little sister’s first-born son while she worked. Family was always the most important thing to Ramona. She had two sisters and was almost always with one or both of them.  Ramona was a mom of two daughters and quickly became Mom to all of their friends.  As time passed, Ramona learned the joy of being a grandma, which she stated was like no other love she had ever known. Ramona had the pleasure of raising her first granddaughter and she became Ramona’s world.

The last job that Ramona had was as a Laundry Attendant for the Highland Laundromat in Turley. She loved that job and took it very seriously. Ramona hated idle time and cleaning was just a thing she loved to do. When she came to your house, Ramona was going to be cleaning something or watering your plants. Mona is what she went by, but to some, she was Mrs. Avery. Mona’s hobbies were gardening and loved her flowerbed, crocheting, all kinds of needlepoint and talking. She never met a stranger.

Mona was a very strong, loving woman and you didn’t wasn’t to be on her bad side or cross her or a loved one. She was very protective. She loved hard and fought hard for those she loved. Ramona knew so many people from the laundromat. She loved meeting new people and she was well liked by everyone who met her. Ramona loved life so much, but was slowed down in 2007 by a stroke, and had complications from that stroke that landed her in a nursing home. After 6 months of rehab, the doctor placed her in the nursing home permanently. She continued to decline slowly from 2014 until her passing. Ramona got to know her older great grandkids but sadly there were babies born she didn’t get to love on.  The only easy part is knowing she is watching and loving her family from Heaven with missed family and she will never know pain and immobility ever again.

Fly high Mona, you are loved and missed.

She is survived by her daughters, Mechele Kindle of Tulsa, and Marlena Burcher and husband, Chester of Tulsa; grandchildren, Michael Hookey of Tacoma, WA, Berina Smith and husband, William of Tulsa, Kasandra Burcher of Tulsa, Brandon Burcher of Tulsa, Chezley Davis and wife, Traci of Tulsa, Dakota Burcher and wife, Brittny of Tulsa, Devyn Burcher and fiancé, April of Tulsa, and Trace Kindle of Tulsa; 18 great-grandchildren; sister, Velda Cade and husband, Michael of Broken Arrow; and many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Avery of Tulsa; granddaughter, Destiny Burcher of Tulsa; sister, Betty Cogburn of Skiatook; father, Marvin Payne of Colorado Springs, CO; and mother, Viola Williams of Tulsa.

Arrangements and services were entrusted to Johnson Funeral Home, Sperry.

Online condolences to the family can be made at johnsonsperry.com.