Shirley "Clydean" Chastain

Shirley Clydean Chastain, 88, of Dumas passed away on Friday, July 5, 2024. A graveside service is scheduled for 2 o’clock in the afternoon on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at Northlawn Memorial Gardens with Rev. Keith Hight, pastor of Change of Heart Church, formerly known as Hunt Memorial Methodist Church officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Beeson-Morrison Funeral Directors.

Clydean was born on August 22, 1935, in Holdenville, Oklahoma, to Clyde and Jessie Marie (Welsh) LaValley. She was raised in Wetumka Oklahoma and had many fond memories growing up there. She was always a bit ornery and mischievous, getting into trouble with her older sister LaDean. They would sneak out under the dark of night and cross the road going deep into the neighbor’s apple orchard to steal apples, if it wasn’t apple picking time then they were known to run down the road to swipe a few melons from the nearby watermelon farm. As a child of that era, she had many chores to do around the homeplace, of those chores, collecting eggs and doing dishes were the chores she disliked the most. Again, under the influence of LaDean, she learned that they could hide those dirty dishes in the oven so they wouldn’t have to wash them. She hated gathering eggs because she was afraid of chicken snakes, and she despised stepping in chicken poop in her bare feet getting it between her toes. She suffered through it though because she wanted to be able to take the eggs to town to sell them and earn the twenty-five cents it took to go to the picture show on Saturday night. Her parents were very strict and had many rules, one of which was that the girls were not allowed to wear shorts. As a teen, being the rebel that she was, she would put the shorts on that she bought with her own money working at the soda counter at the Rexall drug store, under her skirts so her dad wouldn’t know. The minute she went to town and out of the sight of her parents, she would lose the skirt and run around in those forbidden shorts. She soon caught the eye of a handsome young man by the name of Doug Chastain. She and Doug fell madly in love and ended up marrying in Woodville, Mississippi, on May 2, 1953. After Doug’s honorable discharge from the army, they would eventually make their way to Dumas, Texas, where they raised their family. Clydean was a homemaker for many years but out of necessity she held a few grocery store jobs before she was hired by Mike and Jane Bara at Bara’s Blossom Shop in the early seventies. She was gifted with a natural talent as a floral designer. After working there a few years, a young high school student by the name of James McAlister came to work with her, a few years later another young man named Lee Hall came to work as well, this was the beginning of a fifty-year friendship between the three. After the ownership of The Blossom Shop changed several times Clydean and her friend Anita McCown entered into a partnership and bought the shop in 1979, they owned it until 1989. The new owners required her to sign a three year non-compete, so she spent those three years at home until it expired in 1992. That is when the tables turned, and she went to work at Flower’s Etc. for those two young men that she had helped train.

Clydean was very proud of her Creek Indian heritage. She was a collector of Indian pottery and arrowheads. She loved to play the slots which led her and Doug to many casinos over the years, she was very lucky on the machines. In addition to slots, the two of them loved to play poker, especially Texas Hold ‘Em. She made many valued friendships through local card games and tournaments. She also loved to play bingo, she often made weekend trips to Amarillo to frequent the bingo halls.

Clydean was of Christian faith, and she cherished her family. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She supported them by following them to all of their sports, band and academic activities.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, her daughter: Lynn Chastain and her sisters: Ladean Dodson and Janice Hollis.

Clydean is survived by her son: Gary Chastain and wife Teresa Chastain; brother: Tommy LaValley of Shawnee, OK; sister: Annetta Coble and husband Connie of Shawnee, OK; grandchildren: Shawn Chastain and wife Samantha of Longview, TX, Robert Boyett and wife Megan of Amarillo, TX, Derek Chastain and wife Karrisa of Spring, TX, Travis Boyett of Dumas, TX; great-grandchildren: Tinsley Chastain, Addison and Patrick Griffin, McKenzy Chastain, Brekken Braswell, Cheri’lyn, Ryleah and Gideon Boyett, Kendall and Everett Boyett. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends who will miss her dearly.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to your favorite charity.