On September 17, 1942, I opened my eyes and took my first breath in Pierce (Checotah), Oklahoma, as the fourth child of Frank and Nellie (Long) Goudeau. Growing up, I shared my childhood with my siblings— Viola (Nell), and James (Jim)—and later welcomed my younger sister, Janice. Those early years were spent attending Warrior Elementary School and Douglass Elementary, and by the time high school rolled around, I graduated with the Class of 1961 from Rentiesville High School.

A spiritual relationship was instilled in me early in life. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior as a child in Pierce, Oklahoma at Morningstar Baptist Church. When my family moved to Checotah, I became a member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church where I served briefly  as Adult Choir President. One song I loved to sing was "The Wicked shall cease their troubling."  Before my illness, I was a faithful member of Antioch Temple of Hope under the pastorship of Dr. Marlon Coleman.

Work became an important part of my story. My career started at Industrial Uniform in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but the highlight came when I joined Oklahoma Natural Gas Company in 1971. Beginning as an elevator operator in Tulsa, I later became a Customer Service Representative and transferred to Muskogee, where I retired after 27 years of service. Even after retiring, staying busy was a part of who I was. I accepted a receptionist position at the "old" Martin Luther King Center, where I enjoyed hosting community gatherings and helping others. Eventually, I decided it was time to focus on family and truly enjoy retirement.

Family was always at the center of my heart. With Archie Carroll, I welcomed my first daughter, Stephanie. For a while, it was just us—Stephanie, my parents, and me. Later, I married Fred Ledbetter in 1979, and that same year, my family grew with the addition of my youngest daughter, Heidi. Though my marriage to Fred ended, my devotion to my daughters never wavered. Raising Stephanie and Heidi was my greatest joy, and I made it my mission to teach them strength, resilience, and how to face life's challenges with courage.

Life brought its share of struggles, but faith and perseverance guided me through. I overcame cancer, a brain aneurysm, and I weathered the heartbreaking loss of my parents. Through it all, I remained strong, knowing I had more to look forward to. The blessing of becoming a grandmother to Makia, Artis, Elexis, Anthony, and Jayden—and a great-grandmother to DaMarcus and JaLeyla—was more than I ever could have imagined. Watching my grandchildren thrive and grow into their own lives filled me with pride and hope for the future.

Retirement gave me time to enjoy the things I loved. Family gatherings, especially when my siblings and I would come together for a game of Bid Whist, were some of my happiest moments. Dancing, bowling, bingo/casino nights, and even organizing garage sales brought me so much joy, but nothing compared to celebrating the achievements of my children and grandchildren.

One thing everyone knew about me was my love of sports. Especially cheering on the Muskogee Roughers, the OU Sooners and the Dallas Cowboys. While my Cousins, the Selman Brothers" played at OU, I loved traveling to Norman on Saturdays to watch them play. As traveling became more difficult after my health declined, I found great joy by being able to continue to support my grandchildren's activities in other ways like watching on Facebook or YouTube. I loved sharing Facebook posts celebrating all of their accomplishments in band, football, softball, basketball and many graduations.

In my later years, as health challenges became more frequent, my faith never wavered. I treasured every moment spent with my family and found peace knowing I had done all I could to leave a legacy of love and strength. On December 9, 2024, surrounded by the ones I loved most, I closed my eyes and took my final breath.

To my family and friends, know that I am greeted at the Gates of Heaven by my parents Frank and Nellie Goudeau and my brother Lucious.

I leave my legacy to my daughters Stephanie Goudeau – Taylor (Josh)  and Heidi Ledbetter – Watson (Otis); my grandchildren Makia Jackson (Leonard), Artis Scott, Elexis Watson, Anthony Watson, and Jayden Watson, as well as my two great grandchildren DaMarcus and JaLeyla Jackson.

I leave my loving memories to be cherished by my siblings Viola Christopher, James Goudeau  and Janice Kayhill (Dolan); my uncle Wallace Finks; and my special nephew Leonard Goudeau, who I looked at as if he was my son as well as a caravan of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Please know that I will always be with you all and will be watching over you until we meet again.

The Hour of Remembrance for Ms. Ledbetter will commence on Saturday morning, December 21, 2024 at 10:00 AM in the most holy sanctuary of the Antioch Temple of Hope.  The Pastor, Dr. Marlon J. Coleman will preside.

The Christian Committal and burial will follow in the Paradise Cemetery, east of Checotah, Oklahoma.

You may visit her, as she slumbers in sweet repose at the Keith D. Biglow Funeral Directors, Inc., of Muskogee on Friday, between the hours of 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

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