Clifford Schilling

Clifford Wayne Schilling was born August 25, 1931, in Oklahoma City to Albert John and Clara

Mae (Stout) Schilling. He was raised on a farm in Noble County, OK near his maternal

grandparents. After graduating from Garber High School in 1949, he attended Northern

Oklahoma Junior College, where he met Christabell Baker, who he married just after earning his

BS at Oklahoma State University in 1953.

Clifford was drafted into the US Army just a few months after the wedding, and he served with

the 293rd Engineer Construction Batallion Company C in Baumholder, Germany rebuilding

infrastructure following World War II. While is Europe he was able to visit Paris, and see the

Alps, which sparked a love of the mountains that remained with him. While he did see the

Statue of Liberty when leaving New York en route to Europe, he recalled that the voyage across

the Atlantic was not at all pleasant.

Following his service, Clifford returned to Noble County with his bride to start farming alongside

his father. Just a few years later, his father passed away suddenly, and he made the decision to

sell the farm equipment and go back to school. After earning his master’s degree, he began a

new career as a draftsman at Cities Service Oil in Bartlesville. His career took the family to the

Tulsa area, and then to Colorado where he worked on various energy-related projects and rose

to the position of Project Supervisor. He and Chris eventually moved back to Ponca City in 1986

to assist their parents.

The Schilling family started traveling when Mark and Diane were kids and enjoyed several epic

camping trips throughout the Rocky Mountain West. Clifford and Chris kept this up over the

years, visiting such places as the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver, British Columbia, the

Carolinas, Historic Natchez Trace Parkway, Washington DC, and the Maritimes of Canada.

Clifford was a true servant and was active in the churches they attended as a Sunday School

teacher, deacon and elder, and was instrumental in beginning the Friendship Feast at First

Christian Church. In Colorado, he was also active in the Littleton Optimist Club, supporting the

local community. He and Chris also enjoyed socializing with friends in their Pinochle groups over

the years. He was a master woodworker and built furniture, baby cradles for grandchildren, and

barnwood picture frames. He also loved singing in the church choir.

Clifford stayed tethered to his roots in Noble County and has remained a landowner there

throughout his life. He enjoyed drives to the old homestead up until just a few weeks ago.

Clifford leaves a son, Mark (Michele) of Hockley, TX, and a daughter, Diane Schilling Hooker

(Russell) of Lincoln, NE; six grandchildren, Austin, Nathan (Monica), and Harrison Schilling, all

of Texas and Molly Zach (Tim) of Lincoln NE, Spencer Hooker (Elissa) of Aurora, CO, and

Alexander Hooker of Englewood, CO; and seven great grandchildren: Brooklyn, Atlas, Juniper,

Austin, Hazel, Noah, and Elizabeth Marie, who he met just a few days before he passed. He

also leaves two nieces, Tamara Baker Clowers of Aurora, CO, and Teresa Baker Sanders of

Wichita, KS

He will be greatly missed, but he left us with his hopeful final words, “I’ll be alright”.

Graveside services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, December 2, 2023, in Longwood Cemetery with Rev. Stephen Johnson officiating. Visitation will be Friday, December 1, 2023, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Grace Memorial Chapel of Ponca City.

Family has requested memorial contributions be made to the Friendship feast in care of First Christian Church 210 N. 5th Ponca City, OK 74601.

Online guest registry is available at www.gracememorialchapel.net