Catharine Louise Loyd Simpson, 88, of Blanchard, died on Friday, May 10, 2024 in Norman, Oklahoma, surrounded by family.
The daughter of John Franklin Loyd and Emma Grace (Taylor) Loyd, Catharine was born on September 23, 1935. She grew up on a farm in Retrop, Oklahoma, where her family raised cattle and chickens in addition to cultivating a vegetable garden and an apple orchard. She attended Retrop Public Schools through eleventh grade and transferred to nearby Carter High School for her senior year.
During that time, she met the love of her life, Norval Glynn Simpson, who worked at his father’s grocery store on the weekends and attended college at Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater.
After graduating from high school in 1953, Catharine spent two years attending Southwestern State University, after which she married Glynn in Elk City on January 1, 1955. They lived in Stillwater while Glynn finished his master’s degree in civil engineering and then moved to Oklahoma City.
A life-long learner, Catharine earned her teaching certificate, her bachelor’s degree in English and business administration, and her master’s degree in English literature from Central State University. At the same time, Catharine and Glynn continued to grow their burgeoning family, eventually having three children, Gordie, DeeAnn and Sherri. In the summer of 1964, Catharine and Glynn founded Tallman Farms in Dibble, where they established roots and raised Brangus cattle.
Throughout her career, Catharine taught Senior English and business classes at Purcell High School. She held leadership positions within numerous organizations. Catharine was a member of Rainbow Girls and joined her mother in Eastern Star, holding many offices at the local and state levels during 70-plus years of membership. She served as mother advisor for Purcell Rainbow Girls, was Pep Club sponsor at PHS, and held several offices in the Oklahoma and International Brangus Breeders Associations. She was active in the IBBA Auxiliary, helped develop the Oklahoma Junior Brangus Breeders Association, and received a Lifetime Honorary Member Award from the IBBA in 1987.
Catharine loved her church families and, over the course of her life, was actively involved at Union Hill Baptist Church of Purcell, First Baptist Church of Blanchard, and First United Methodist Church of Blanchard.
Even more than her career and her extracurricular accomplishments, Catharine will best be remembered for her incredible love and support of her family. She cherished her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and devoted countless hours to sharing her love of education, literature, and agriculture with them. From her early rise every morning to read her Bible to her equally early bedtime each evening, Catharine lived out her love with a quick wit, an ever-present smile, and a tasty snack always at the ready. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge, steadfast commitment to her values, and unwavering love of her family and community were the hallmarks of Catharine’s life and will endure in the hearts and minds of her loved ones.
Catharine was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Mary, who died in infancy; and husband of 65 years, Glynn.
Catharine is survived by one son, Gordon Simpson and his wife, Mickey, of Blanchard; two daughters, DeeAnn Simpson of Dibble and Sherri Simpson of Blanchard; four grandchildren, Aaron Ervin and his wife, Rebecca, of Midwest City, Jeremy Ervin of Oklahoma City, Kara Simpson of Blanchard, and Suzanne Bodine and her husband, Eric, of Broken Arrow; three great-grandchildren, Joshua Ervin, Isabella Ervin and James Simpson; numerous nieces and nephews; and many other loved ones and friends.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the First Baptist Church in Blanchard. Burial followed at the Carter Cemetery in Carter, Oklahoma. Arrangements were under the direction of Eisenhour Funeral Home of Blanchard. More information, the online obituary, and guestbook are available at www.eisenhourfh.com.