Class of 1956
1956 Maroon Spotlight
Claudia McBride
Class Assembly 53-54, Library Staff 54-56.
Claudia Jean (McBride) Turpen
August 1, 1938 – October 31, 2023
Claudia Jean (McBride) Turpen passed away peacefully at her home in Perry on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, with her daughter by her side. She was 85.
Claudia was born August 1, 1938, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Cecil Eugene McBride and Thelma Louise (Arthur) McBride. As a small child, Claudia moved with her parents to Perry where she attended and graduated from Perry High School in 1956. At the young age of 14, she met her soon-to-be husband, Robert “Bob” Marshall and in 1957 they were united in marriage at Christ Lutheran Church in Perry.
Not long after marriage, Claudia and Bob moved to Tulsa and made a home there for several years. Claudia worked as a retail clothing clerk for JC Penney in Tulsa for many years. After she and Bob divorced, Claudia moved back to Perry and transferred to JC Penney’s in Stillwater where she remained until her retirement. Making a full circle, she always considered Perry home.
Claudia loved to play bingo, Mexican dominoes with her friends, read, and attend church. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Perry.
She is survived by her daughter Debra of the home, and numerous friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, and brother, Thomas McBride.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, November 9, 2023, in the chapel of Dighton-Marler Funeral Home, Perry. Rev. Brett Nation will officiate.