Nona Cornett, 93, of Oklahoma City, born October 11, 1921, died April 25, 2015.

Nona was born on a wheat farm near the western Oklahoma town of Thomas. She was the seventh of nine children born to Mary Ferguson Sweeney and Cornelius Sweeney.

Nona was frequently sick as a small child but by the time she reached her teenage years she had overcome her illnesses. Growing up in western Oklahoma during the 1930's, she vividly remembered the huge clouds of dirt that would engulf their house and threaten the economics of a farm life that was all they knew.

With eight brothers and sisters sharing a single house along with her parents and a couple of extended relatives, it was a trying, crowded existence. Life at home centered around survival. The values she learned in harvesting a crop, feeding the farm animals and attending the Baptist Church would never leave her.

In 1936, when she was 14, her father died. Her mother then assumed the overwhelming responsibilities of running a farm and raising the large family. Her mother became the central figure of her life and passed along a family credo, "you can do anything you want, if you set your mind to it."

All nine children graduated from Thomas High School. Nona was the salutatorian of the class of 1939. She began college at Southwestern State in Weatherford but graduated from the University of Oklahoma with an education degree in 1945.

While still attending college she began her teaching career in a two-room Amish schoolhouse in Custer County.

She met her future husband, Carroll Earl Cornett, on a blind date in Oklahoma City. They were introduced by her cousin, Danny Sweeney, who was a friend of Carroll's. After a brief courtship, Nona and Carroll were married on November 9, 1945 in Watonga. In 1946, they moved to Kingfisher where Nona taught second grade. In the spring of 1950, they moved to Oklahoma City where they would live the rest of their lives.

Nona was a school teacher but took several years off each time she had a child. From 1955 to 1958 she taught at Putnam City Central Elementary School. In 1963 she became a first grade teacher at the new Rollingwood Elementary School where she was twice named "Teacher of the Year." She taught first grade in that same room until she retired in 1988.


Nona spent her retirement years taking care of grandchildren and volunteering in the concession stand at the Satellite Gym, a youth sports organization her husband had started in 1958. She and Carroll were married 51 years until he passed away in 1997. She was a long-time member of Grace United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and all eight brothers and sisters. She is survived by her children, daughter Carolyn Howell and son-in-law Tom Howell of Okemah, son Don Cornett and daughter-in-law Debra of Oklahoma City, and son Mick Cornett and daughter-in-law Terri of Oklahoma City. She is survived by eight grand children: Julie Howell, Kelly Murphy, David Howell, Jett Cornett, Kevin Cornett, Michael Cornett, Casey Cornett and Tristan Cornett, along with nine great-grand children.

She will be greatly missed by her family, former students, and all that knew her.

A viewing will be held Tuesday from 6-8pm at Vondel Smith Funeral Home, 13125 North MacArthur. Funeral services are set for Wednesday at 10 am inside Grace United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Mound Valley Cemetery in Thomas, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation be sent to the Putnam City Schools Foundation: 5401 NW 40th Street, Oklahoma City, Ok 73122.
.