Carolyn Vernice Seratte

Carolyn Vernice Seratte, longtime resident of Norman, Oklahoma passed away Sunday, March 9, 2025, at the Medical Park West Nursing Facility.

Carolyn was born July 28, 1942, in DeWitt, VA to John and Ethel Anderson. She was born on a tobacco farm and at a very young age had the job of helping hand the tobacco leaves to her mother to tie and hang up to dry. She also helped pull off the worms from the tobacco plants as they rode through the crops in a wagon pulled by a tractor. When she was five years old her father began working in construction and the family moved wherever there was work. She attended 21 different schools from Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and Kansas before she graduated from High School in Streetsboro, Ohio.

After high school, she moved to Wichita, Kansas and while attending Olivet Baptist Church, met a man, Franklin Seratte. Their first date was attending a Valentine’s banquet at the church. On March 17, 1962, they were married and remained so for almost 52 years.

Carolyn was a devoted helpmate to Frank and enjoyed supporting him in all his endeavors; whether it was keeping score for all of the many softball and basketball games, participating in bowling tournaments, scrabble games, dominoes, canasta card games with friends, planning family reunions or serving in all of the many churches they attended. Frank & Carolyn lived in eight different cities including Wichita and Dodge City, Kansas, Lakewood, Colorado, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Oak Grove, Missouri, Ralston and Lincoln, Nebraska, before they settled in Norman in 1985,

Over the years Carolyn worked as a waitress in a truck stop during her senior year in high school, as a secretary at the Southern Baptist Convention in Wichita and for the Southview Baptist Church in Lincoln. She also worked for the University of Nebraska and then for the University of Oklahoma. After 20 years at OU, she retired to relax and enjoy her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Carolyn was known for being a great conversationalist and having a sense of humor. She was an avid reader, loved to play games, and enjoyed ceramics and crafts. As a member of First Baptist Church for forty years, she made many lifelong friends. For several years she took annual trips to Vegas with her sister, sisters-in -law and friends for a week of fun. Carolyn was also known for being the “Queen of Forwardness” and “Sassy Nana”. Her goal for everyday was to make someone laugh and/or smile and there were not many days that she did not accomplish that.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Robert Anderson, her sister, Josephine Hiatt, her husband, Frank Seratte, three sisters – in- law: Pauline Abraham Bolen, Floye Adkerson, Melba Hornecker, five brothers – in law: Edward Seratte, Russell Abraham, Bill Adkerson, Jerry Faulkner, Jerry Scharff and three nephews: Gary Reece, Kenny Adkerson and Aaron Bakeman.

She is survived by her daughter Cindy Orr (Kenny), son Jon Seratte, her grandchildren; Heather Gunter, Daniel Orr (Pati), Ashton Seratte, Alyssa Seratte, her great grandchildren; Braxton Gunter, Rosa Orr, her sisters – in law; Eva Seratte, Velma Reece, Sharon Faulkner, Glenda Cowan (Jack), Peggy Wood (Jack – Woody), Pat Scharff, her brother-in-law; Pat Hiatt, her aunt; Ercelle Wallce and by five nieces, twelve nephews, over fifty-five great nieces and nephews, and many cousins from her mother and father’s families.