Polly Annette Claxton

A memorial service for Polly Annette Claxton, 84, of Gainesville will be held 2 p.m. Friday, October 7, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church in Gainesville with Rev. John Hare officiating. A private family committal service will take place in Fairview Cemetery. A visitation will held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at Geo. J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home.

Polly Annette Claxton, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend of many left this earth on October 3, 2011 to join God, her husband, Bob, and the many others who have gone before her. She was born on September 21, 1927 in Crowley, LA. Polly attended Gainesville Memorial High School, Baylor University, and Southern Methodist University. While attending Southern Methodist University, she met and married one of her professors, Robert L. (Bob) Claxton, Jr. They were married for 38 years before his death in 1985.

She was a home room mother, taught Sunday School in the First Presbyterian Church, had Cub Scouts for both her sons and was a Brownie and Blue Bird leader for her daughters.

She was an art major at SMU, took art courses through the Arts Activities program at Cooke County College, served as president of that program and was once in charge of the annual art show. She won many painting awards, and had her work displayed at the Ft. Worth Art Museum, T.C.U, The Richardson Civic Art Center, the Fairmount Gallery in Dallas, the Denton Gallery Services, the Lindsay House in Gainesville, and at Baker, Knapp, and Tubbs in the Decorator=s Center. She operated a small gift shop for several years and designed her own line of jewelry.

She self-published several books of family stories, angel stories, photographs and genealogies. She was a Lifetime Member of her Tuesday Book Club and designed and printed their yearbooks for several years. She was also in Gourmet Club. These ladies are Honorary Pall Bearers.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, her brother, Homer Koon, and parents Annette Cretien and Homer Koon Sr.. Surviving her are her children: Barbara and her husband Willie Chapman of Austin, Texas; Robert L. (Chip) Claxton III and Thomas L. (Larry) Claxton of Gainesville; Kim and her husband David Craigmile of Dallas, Texas. Grandchildren Chris and his wife Jennifer Chapman of Chicago; Casey and her husband Will Ross of Austin, Tiffanie Claxton and her fiancé Aaron Rutter. Great-grandchildren, Mariah Ross, Liam Ross and Zayden Claxton; and many loved nieces and nephews together with Karen Kaden Cozby who she thought of as being like another daughter.

The family would like to extend our warmest and most sincere thanks to all the people at Pecan Tree Rehabilitation and Home Hospice for the kind and loving way they treated Polly and her family during the last days of her too short life. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to Pecan Tree Rehabilitation, Home Hospice or your favorite charity.