Clara A. Vandegrift: January, 17, 1928 – May 7, 2026

Clara Ann Vandegrift, née Bartlett, died on May 7th, 2026 in Cashmere, Washington of old age. She was born January 17th, 1928 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the only child of Oscar Herbert Bartlett and Ervie Joe Blair. She grew up in Collinsville, Oklahoma, where her father owned and operated The New Fashion clothing store.

She attended Oklahoma A&M college in Stillwater from 1945 to 1948, graduating with a Bachelor of Science. She was in Kappa Delta sorority as well as the Alpha Pi Mu pre-med fraternity and the Phi Chi Delta Presbyterian sorority.

She met A. E. Peter Vandegrift at college. They were engaged in the spring of 1948 and married on August 4, 1948 in Collinsville.

In 1950 after Peter completed his Masters Degree at Oklahoma A&M they moved from Stillwater to Wichita, Kansas where he took a job with Boeing. Sons Eric, Bart, and Kirk were born in Wichita.

The family moved to Mercer Island, Washington in 1963. They joined the MI Presbyterian Church where Claree sang in the choir.

She was a certified medical technologist and owned a business growing and reading lab cultures for various doctors and clinics from 1966 to 1975.

In 1976 after their sons were out of high school Claree and Peter moved from Mercer Island to Whidbey Island, Washington. They were members of St. Augustine-inthe-Woods Episcopal church in Freeland. She was a long-time volunteer at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. She was proud of having walked the entire 100+ mile coastline of Whidbey Island with her friends. She spent most of her life singing in her church choir. Pete died in 2012 and in 2016 Claree sold the Whidbey property and moved to an apartment in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. In 2022 she moved to an assisted living facility in Wenatchee, Washington. In 2025 she moved to a nursing home in Cashmere, Washington where she passed away.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter (2012), and her son, Kirk (2022). She is survived by sons Eric (Debra) and Bart (Mauricia), six grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. She will be interred at St. Augustine-in-the-Woods’ columbarium. No public service is planned.