Saint Paul's Lutheran Cemetery

Wellston, Limcoln County, Oklahoma

© Lehman Funeral Funeral Home

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

Mae Delores Hill Crain

September 16, 1928 ~ July 30, 2021

Mae "Mayo" Delores Crain was born in San Antonio, TX on September 16, 1928. She passed away quietly on July 30, 2021 at the age of 92 years. Mae would meet the love of her life, Bud, during their teen years around Mae’s dad’s saddle shop. They decided to sneak over the border into Kansas with Bud's older sister to be married on Mae's 18th birthday in 1946 and the rest is history. They were looking forward to celebrating 75 years of marriage next month and even through some short-term memory loss, she missed him greatly over the past 5 months.

Bud joined the Marines in 1952 and shipped off to Camp Pendleton during the Korean conflict. Mae would sometimes sign out Bud’s Marine buddy posing as Glenn’s wife so that he could enjoy some leave time also. After 8 years childless, they adopted Linda and nine months later conceived Matt. After losing a daughter on the day after Christmas in 1957, Mark was born in 1960.

Returning to Oklahoma from California with two children, Bud would travel with his youngest brother Pat to Tulsa where most of their possessions burned in a fire. She stayed in Oklahoma City a little longer while they worked out a place to live. They worshipped with the 41st Street Church of Christ making lifelong friends there. Just after the congregation moved to 49th and Tacoma, the Crain’s came to Carbondale where she was active in teaching, organizing meals and raising their children to love and serve the Lord.

Mae was a skilled craftsman on the sewing machine and finishing needlepoint with velvet and selling kits to the public at Crain Upholstery just East of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church and later at Orin’s Furniture Specialties near 15th and Harvard. She worked at the shop and came home to cook, clean and be a mother until falling into bed.

While Mark was still in High School, Mae and Buddy moved to Wellston, Oklahoma to an acreage previously owned by her brother Baldo. They were members of the Wellston Church and had a sojourn to organize the Luther Congregation, where she taught the children’s Bible classes. Mae was active in the Captain Creek Home and Community Education Group serving as an officer several times. She was also part of the Lincoln County Oklahoma Home and Community Education Group. She was a mentor to many of the younger ladies and dear friend to all. Her wheat bread won honors at the County Fair and the Oklahoma State Fair more than once. While in Wellston, Mae studied and earned her GED and served as a Teacher’s Aide for Oklahoma City Public Schools. They hosted three Foreign Exchange Students and even traveled to Germany to experience the world of one young man who sent flowers for her birthdays and Mother’s Day ever since.

After 33 years in Wellston they returned home to Southwest Tulsa in 2009 and resumed worshipping with their Carbondale church family where she organized meals for people having surgery until health limitations prevented it. She enjoyed worshipping with her family during the Covid shutdown and shortly thereafter enjoyed excellent care from Good Shepherd Hospice.

Mae was preceded in death by her husband, Orin (Bud) Crain, her parents Onofre H. (Ono) Hill, and Feliz Tafolla (who died in childbirth), her step-mother Beryl Austin, one brother Baldo, an infant daughter and daughter Linda Bradley. She is survived by one brother, Dennis, two sons Matthew Crain and wife Lucinda, and Mark Crain and Cathy Cowan. She has five grandchildren: Sarah Mayfield and husband Kevin, Rebecca Lynch and husband Jason, Jordan Crain, Whitney Brown and husband Trevor; and Steve Bradley. She will also be missed by five great-grandchildren Jackson, Theoden, Jasea, Avery and Zach and a host of nieces and nephews, long-time friends and a loving church family.

A funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the Carbondale Church of Christ in Tulsa followed by a graveside service at 2:00 p.m. Friday, August 6, 2021 at the Lutheran Cemetery in Wellston. Local arrangements were under the direction of Lehman Funeral Home of Wellston