Arthur Leon Clayborn

Arthur Leon Clayborn-better known as Arthur Lee,Pinches or Knot- was born in Kilgore Texas on  December 14, 1934 to the parents of Cain and Bobbie Clayborn. He grew up in the North Chapel Community in Gregg County Texas. Arthur attended North Chapel High School in Gladewater, Texas where he excelled in football as a running back. He became a member of New Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and was very active.

He was drafted into the U. S. Army and he was stationed in Germany for many years. During his time in the military he served as a mechanic and a culinary specialist. Arthur Clayborn served over 30 years and retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Master Sergeant in December of 1994. When he returned to civilian life, Arthur worked for some time as a truck driver and eventually went to work for the Tarrant County Water Board where he retired.

Arthur Clayborn met the love of his life, Betty Clayborn, when they both worked the night shift at Texas Electric in Fort Worth, Texas. They fell in love and were married on October 28,1982 and remained married for 34 years until his beloved wife's death in 2016. She affectionately called him “Love” and he called her “Babe”. They loved each other deeply and also enjoyed traveling and enjoying new restaurants and cuisine around town.

In his pastime, Mr. Clayborn enjoyed working in his garden, canning food and sharing it with his family and friends, and getting on the pit to bbq a wild hog he would catch on his property. He was most famous for his briskets. In 2004, after the passing of his mother Momo, he came back home to the North Chapel Community and lived the remainder of his retirement days on the family property.

Arthur Clayborn is preceded in death by his parents Cain and Bobbie Clayborn, his wife Betty Renda Clayborn, his brothers Melvin and Robert “Bob” Clayborn, and his sister Jimmie Mae Davis.

He is survived by his namesake and nephew Arthur “Lil Arthur” Clayborn II (Patricia), his daughter Marilyn Davis (Jimmie), his grandchildren Jimika Allison (Jamur) and Melanie Randall, his great-grandchildren Sydney Randall and Isaiah Allison, Kelly Davis (Lue) of Lansing Michigan, Denise Davis of Longview, TX, Wanda Davis of Woodlands, TX, a special cousin Renee Scott and a host of other cousins and family from Marshall, Terrell, Dallas, Kilgore, and Fort Worth.

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