Tommie Nell (Payne) Flegal, age 89, beloved first grade teacher and lifelong advocate for her students and education, peacefully transitioned to eternity January 26, 2025 surrounded by family.
Born on October 4, 1935 in Durant, OK, Tommie Nell spent the first five years of her life living in Brownsville, OK. Emulating her parents who had a combined 84 years of teaching in Marshall County, it was in Brownsville Tommie practiced teaching her dolls and decided to be a first grade teacher. When plans for Lake Texoma were slated to close the area, the Payne family and their teacherage (house), moved into Kingston, OK on Independence Day Weekend of 1941. Not long after starting first grade, Tommie was diagnosed with rheumatic fever, and in a world with no antibiotics yet, she spent six months in bed to recover. Learning to walk again was a testament to her toughness, a quality which would serve her well over the course of a lifetime. The following year she was fully recovered and helped welcome her baby brother Eddie. Though seven years separated them, they were close and talked at least once a week throughout adulthood.
Tommie graduated at the top of her class in 1953, and was a proud Kingston Redskin, played clarinet in A.E. Findley’s band, and became a second generation member of the Alumni Association upon graduation. Attending the Alumni festivities was a highlight of her year, as evidenced by a large collection of Kingston apparel. Following high school, she attended Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, OK for two years, and completed her B.S. in Elementary Education from Southeastern Oklahoma State College (now University) in 1956 with precisely the required number of hours to graduate.
In Fall 1956, Tommie accepted her first teaching position and moved to Bartlesville, OK driving a 3-on-the-tree, hot water six, 1956 Chevy to begin teaching first grade at the newly opened Will Rogers Elementary. On September 6, 1956, she greeted 39 scholars and often said that was before the experts decided that ratio exceeded appropriate class sizes. On her first day of teaching, one of her scholars rode his bicycle off a culvert and she wrapped him in butcher paper and met his father at the emergency room – something she said teacher education classes did not prepare her to do, but growing up in an education family did.
At a YMCA singles mixer later that month, she met Herb Flegal, an accountant for Phillips Petroleum. They quickly became an item in spite of his first Christmas present to her being a flashlight, which she guessed playing 20 questions and the game became permanently off limits. Tommie and Herb married in a small ceremony June 21, 1958 with her parents and brother, his parents, the minister and his wife, and one aunt who crashed the wedding attending. They were just as married with a crowd of eight as with 800, and their love lasted almost 60 years.
After purchasing an acreage north of Dewey in 1961 and building a house, they welcomed a daughter, Julie Ellen, in 1964, and Tommie planned to stay home until she started school. Easter Sunday 1969, the Flegal family began a nomadic life with Phillips. Tommie taught one semester in Fairview, OK, but discovered Phillips transfers didn’t align with academic years and being together as a family was more important. After a final assignment in Bastrop, TX, Tommie returned to the classroom at Bastrop Primary/Elementary until Herb’s retirement, at which point they relocated to Oklahoma to be closer to family. Tommie began teaching in Piedmont, once again impacting young lives in the classroom until her retirement.
For decades, Tommie inspired generations of children with her patience, kindness, and unwavering belief in the power of education, and the more important belief that each student can succeed. Her classroom was a safe haven filled with creativity, warmth, and a love for learning which left a lasting impression as demonstrated by the hundreds of students with whom she remained in contact. She was a lifelong member of the church of Christ and enjoyed children’s education programs and teaching ladies’ classes.
Outside of teaching, Tommie was a talented seamstress, wonderful cook, and avid Oklahoma Sooner fan. She had a remarkable gift for storytelling, and her excellent memory filled those stories with details others might have forgotten.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Jay and Goldie (Peacock) Payne; her younger brother, Eddie Payne and his wife Tomasine; her husband of almost 60 years, Herbert Lewis Flegal; and, her son-in-law, Colonel Edward Smallwood. She was also preceded by three of her closest childhood friends, Skippy Henry, Tommy Henry and Patsy Gayle (Carey) Stoolz.
She is survived by her favorite (only) daughter, Julie Ellen Flegal-Smallwood; a host of Peacock and Payne cousins; bonus grandsons, Andrew Smallwood and Aaron Smallwood; bonus great-granddaughters Katie, Megan, Annabelle, Bethany, and Dylennon; and, one bonus great-great-granddaughter, Riley. She is also survived by special family friends: Gary Henry; Kip Henry; Billy Pratt; Diana Williams; Pamela Sanders; and, Mary Lou Tanzey, along with the Piedmont Old Cats. Finally, she is survived by many cherished students who will carry on her memory and legacy.
The family would like to express special thanks to the medical staff at Mercy Hospital – OKC and Mercy Hospital – Kingfisher, as well as one of her favorite physicians, Michael Keefer. Additional thanks is given to Visiting Angels for providing assistance for the past three years.
A celebration of life will be held at 3:30pm January 31, 2025 at Buchanan’s Funeral Service, 8712 N Council, Oklahoma City. Family visitation will be from 5:30 to 7:30pm, Thursday, January 30 at the same location. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to North MacArthur church of Christ, her church home for the past 24 years, or a school of choice.
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