Dixon, Cherie Louise Gray

Cherie Louise Gray Dixon, daughter of Louise and Tom R. Gray, Sr., was born on May 12, 1927 at the home of her pioneer maternal grandparents, John D. and Nora D. Taliaferro in Duncan, Oklahoma.  After a brief illness she went home to the Lord on January 3, 2017 at age 89. Cherie attended schools in Duncan, Ada, and Seminole Oklahoma as well as Nevada City, California.  She graduated from Duncan High School in 1945.  She also attended the University of Oklahoma. She worked for Halliburton Oil Company in Duncan in the purchasing and engineering departments before moving to Oklahoma City and working for Shell Oil Company. Cherie married the love of her life, Raymond Vester Dixon of Duncan, OK on September 11, 1949 at the First Christian Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  They had two sons, Mark Gray Dixon and David Raymond Dixon.  During their marriage they lived in Oklahoma City, OK, Wichita, KS, Tyler, TX and Norman, OK until Ray’s death in 1969. Cherie then began working in the Land Departments of Brooks Hall, Ferguson Oil Company and then at Hadson Petroleum for 14 years as a District Landman.  She also worked as a mutual clerk at Remington Park, retiring after 10 years. She was a member of the Oklahoma City Landwives Association, serving as President. Cherie was a member of Chapter AU, PEO since 1988 and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She was also a volunteer for many years at the Family Life Center of the First Baptist Church of Norman, Oklahoma and attended the First Christian Church of Norman, Oklahoma. Cherie loved to read and was never without a book.  She was an avid Sooner fan, read the newspaper from cover to cover each day, and loved discussing conservative politics. Traveling was another interest and she made several trips to Europe, Canada, Mexico and Alaska, often with her dear friends Carol Ricks, Gloria Jennings or (the late) Jeanne Perkins. Cherie was so proud of her five grandchildren: Major David Dixon, Jr., United States Marine Corps (Jackie), Jason Dixon (Andrea), Sergeant Brad Dixon, United States Marine Corps (2001-2005), Pamela Ann Dixon and Amanda Dixon Laufer (Mitch).  She reveled in their many accomplishments and loved cheering them on at their games when they were growing up.  Cherie was known for several signature dishes – oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, chicken tetrazzini, pumpkin pie, fudge, and cranberry salad – and she loved to make these for her family. The past few years she took great delight in her great grandchildren: Clayton Brady Dixon (son of Jason and Andrea) and Juliette Victoire Noelle Dixon (daughter of David and Jackie) and was looking forward to the birth of Amanda and Mitch’s first child in June. Cherie is survived by sons Mark Dixon, David Dixon and his wife Bunny, as well as her aforementioned grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She is also survived by her sister-in-law Beverly Gray (widow of brother Tom R. Gray Jr.), niece Dianne Gray Mildren (Glynne), and nephews Tommy Gray (Susie), Troy Coker (Cathy), and James Coker as well as cousins Boone Hazelette (Lou), Kathy Funk, and Cindy Brown (Dr. Randy Brown). Cherie will also be missed by her many friends, and by the extended Beebe & Webb families of in-laws who adopted Grandma Cherie as their own. A Memorial service to celebrate her life will he held at 2:00 P.M., Sunday, January 8, 2017 at Dallas Bible Church located at 15765 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, Texas 75248. Arrangements are under the direction of ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700