TINNIE FLAHERTY
Tinnie Sue Anderson Flaherty, 84, of Tulsa, OK, formerly of Waldo, entered her eternal home on January 30, 2021, after her children and grandchildren showered her with love, gratitude, and happy memories.
Born to John Burce and Pairlee Bessie (Faught) Anderson in Arp, TX on October 27, 1936, Sue was the second oldest child of seven. They later moved to Waldo, where she was a 1954 graduate of Waldo High School and played on the Lady Bulldogs basketball team. She met her lifelong love, Charles, there, and they were married in October 1954.
Together, Charles and Sue were a powerhouse couple. They completed each other in many ways, but they were also their own people with their own interests. They spent time together at local high school or college basketball games, rodeos and horse shows, camping and riding horses in the fall at Camp Albert Pike, or running the highway to visit their kids and grandkids. They were married for 63 years and it showed in their love for and service to one another, and in their disagreements. When they fell ill, they took care of one another without hesitation, but that doesn’t mean there were no sarcastic jabs involved. This balance was the essence of their life together.
As an individual, Sue was a homemaker; she enjoyed fishing, camping, sewing and crafting, gardening, shopping clearance sales, and anything involving her grandkids. She could be seen at ball games, piano recitals, academic events, taking her grandkids camping, or simply rocking the babies. There is no way to overstate the love she had for her grandchildren; if you knew her, you know that every fiber of her being was dedicated to how much she loved her babies.
She was a member of First Baptist Church of Waldo and the Fidelis Ladies Sunday School Class. She could often be found at church events or reading her Bible and devotionals. She was authentic, a great friend, and had a wit that could give anyone a big belly laugh. She was devoted to her family, both by blood and at church, and to cultivating and keeping close relationships with those she loved the most.
While we all feel a piece of us is missing in her absence, we find comfort in knowing that she is healthy, whole, and that she found all those she loved and dearly missed waiting for her at Heaven’s gate: her husband of 63 years, Charles, their infant twins, John Shannon and Carrie Ann Flaherty, her parents, her sisters, Jamie Polk and Mary Faulk, extended family members, and dear friends.
She is survived by her sons, Van Flaherty of Edmond, OK, and Jeff (Donna) Flaherty of Sand Springs, OK; her grandchildren, Caitlin (Eric) Stuart of Denver, CO, Jacob Flaherty of Sand Springs, OK, Kylie (Jordan) Spears of Fayetteville, AR, and Caleb and Riley Flaherty of Sand Springs, OK. Also mourning the loss are her three great grandsons, Nelson Stuart, Maddoc Spears, and McKinley Stuart; her siblings, Pat (Thomas) Marlar, Quinton Anderson, Judy Teague, and Troy Anderson; as well as her nieces, nephews, friends, and church family.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, February 27, 2021 at Shiloh Cemetery, under the direction of Lewis Funeral Home with Bro. Ed Phillips officiating. Pallbearers will be Jacob, Caleb, and Riley Flaherty, Jordan Spears, John Austin, and Rollie Wheeler Flaherty. The family trusts that guests will respect COVID-19 protocol with masks and distancing.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Sjögren’s Foundation, 10701 Parkridge Blvd, Suite 170, Reston, VA 20191, or http://www.sjogrens.org or to First Baptist Church of Waldo.