On the evening of January 16 Heaven gained an angel, and we lost a beautiful best friend.
Twajana Lee Claxton, the youngest child of Monroe and Ethel Claxton, was raised with three brothers and five sisters on a farm in Wright County, Mo. She attended Marshfield High School and graduated from Mountain Grove High School, where she was a cheerleader.
In 1949 she married Don Chasteen, and they were blessed with almost 70 years of marriage. A member of the sales team at Jones & Company Realtors, Twajana was a million-dollar producer. During retirement she and Don split their time between their home in Springfield and lake house at Indian Point, where they enjoyed boating and weekends with their family. She was a longtime volunteer at Crosslines and provided financial support to students in Nicaragua.
Twajana golfed in a women's league in Springfield and was an avid MSU Lady Bears basketball fan. A member of National Avenue Christian Church for more than 60 years, she was an honorary deacon. Twajana looked forward to baking cookies with her granddaughter Casey; going to Silver Dollar City and the Cup of Cheer homes tour with her daughter Tina; and watching "Dancing with the Stars." Her pineapple upside down cake was the best! Twajana's family and friends treasure the exquisite quilts and special baskets she lovingly hand-crafted for them.
While recovering from a recent hip replacement surgery at 87-years-young, Twajana was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia. She is survived by her husband Don Chasteen, daughter Tina Stillwell (Mark), son Steve Chasteen (Sonja), granddaughter Casey Chasteen, grandson Christopher Chasteen, and grand-dog The Hardy Boy, all of Springfield, along with several nieces, nephews, and special friends. Her sisters Leola, Helena, Fern, Vera, and Pat and her brothers Herbert, Haden, and T.J. pre-deceased her.
A celebration of Twajana's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 23, at National Avenue Christian Church, 1515 S. National, Springfield, Mo. The family will receive friends at the church from 1:00 p.m. until the service begins. Burial will follow at Hazelwood Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Council of Churches' Crosslines or National Avenue Christian Church.
Although we will miss her positive outlook and spunk, Twajana's spirit will be all around us in the flowers we grow, the hymns we sing, and the people we feed.