Clyde Byous

Clyde Ellis Byous, of Poteau, passed away on Friday, February 13th in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  He was a self-made man who started in the coal mines of Oklahoma at the age of fourteen then moved to the migrant farm camps of California in the migrations that began during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. He married Martha Covey on April 1, 1945.He was eighteen and she was fifteen. He became a carpenter in 1950 and went on to become a successful general contractor and cattleman. He and Martha, were both private pilots who enjoyed flying their Cessna aircraft. He did very well in life.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Martha Covey Byous; his parents, John and Mae Byous; three brothers, Cecil, Aaron and Kenneth Byous; and one sister, Gladys Byous Parker.

He is survived by five children. Three sons and two daughter's in law, Jerry Byous and John and Lisa Byous of Poteau and Jim and Becky Byous of Savannah, Georgia; and two daughters, Joyce Byous Hair of Poteau and Veda Roush of Kansas City, Missouri; five grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and a host of nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Thursday evening 5PM to 7PM at Evans & Miller Funeral Home in Poteau. The funeral service will be on Friday at 2:00 PM at Ellis Chapel in Wister.