Kristie Clayton

Funeral service for Kristie Clayton, age 48 of Dike, Texas, will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Murray-Orwosky Funeral Home with Bro Kenneth Ballard officiating. Interment will follow at Horton Cemetery with Corey O’Grady, Casey Huggins, Dylan Degen, Blake Degen, Heaton Halbert, and Bradley Tice. Visitation will be held from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. prior to the service. Mrs. Clayton passed away on March 9, 2026, at Christus Mother Frances – Sulphur Springs.

Kristie Clayton was born on December 30, 1977, in Greenville, Texas, to the late William Jasper and Virginia Mae Clayton. Kristie was a devoted mother, homemaker and worked in the service industry. Sunflowers were her favorite flower long before they ever became popular. In many ways, she was like one, strong and resilient, standing through life’s many storms while still reaching for the light. Life was not always gentle with her, and she often carried more than her share of hardships. Yet through it all, she continued to love deeply, care for those around her, and keep moving forward with quiet strength. She always had a way of being a friend to everyone she met. One of the things she cherished most over the past nine years was being a MawMaw. She also found joy in life’s simple routines: her daily lunch-break video-call dates with Chris, watching Wheel of Fortune, and spending time outdoors whenever she could. She was always just a phone call away for anyone who needed her, with an open ear and a caring heart ready to listen. She often said she wasn’t ready to be done on this earth, and perhaps what she truly meant was that she wasn’t ready to leave the people she loved behind. Her love for her family ran deep, and that love was one of the many things that gave her the strength to keep fighting, even until the very end. While our hearts are heavy with loss, we can find comfort in knowing that her battles are finally over. She is no longer struggling and is now reunited with the loved ones who went before her.

Kristie Clayton is survived by her husband, Chris Degen; children, Jaycee Halbert Tice, Hailey Halbert, and Corey O’Grady; grandchildren, Tatum Tice, Piper Tice, Olivia Tice, and Brittlee Halbert; brother Wayne Melton and wife Megan, sisters, Lyndi Huggins and husband Eric, Stacie Clayton Strebeck, Shirley Kilpatrick and husband Rick, Cheryl Wallis and husband Ron, and Debbie Greenhill.

She was preceded in death by parents; sister, Sharon Bostick; brothers, Larry Wilson and Lester Wilson.