Valerie Lynn Otteman Clark

Valerie Lynn Otteman Clark, 58, of Harlingen, TX went to be with the Lord on the 15th day of April, 2021.

Valerie was born May 8, 1962 in Harlingen, Texas to DeWayne Gerald and Marilyn Brett Otteman. She grew up in Harlingen and graduated from Harlingen High School in 1980. After high school, she attended St. Mary’s of The Woods College in Terre Haute, IN for two years before moving to Denver, CO. She met and later married the love of her life, Russell Stephen Clark, in November of 1982. She and Russell made their home in Denver until his untimely passing in January of 1983. Valerie moved back home to the Rio Grande Valley where she received her real estate salesman’s license, becoming an agent for the family businesses, Otteman Realty and Universal Realty. She also managed, alongside her father, the Health Garden, another family business. She spent many years of her life acquiring knowledge on natural herbs, vitamins, and homeopathic treatments helping many customers back to health. Valerie relocated to Austin, TX continuing her career in real estate sales and retail sales. She managed a department for Walgreen’s Inc., and was an associate real estate agent for McAllister and Associates. In the year 2014, she moved back to Harlingen to keep Universal Realty open. She volunteered many hours as a committee member with the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum and helped with many other community endeavors.

Valerie was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother who adored spending time with her family. She had a tremendous faith in the Lord, was a lifetime member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Harlingen. There she attended mass on a daily basis, volunteered as a religious education teacher, and devoted numerous hours to the Sisters of St. Ann whom she held very dear to her heart. Her faith in God and devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary was always foremost in her mind. In her spare time, she enjoyed music, painting, knitting, lively political discussions, studying philosophy and religion, being at South Padre Island, seeing her grandchildren, and researching her family heritage ancestry as far back as she could trace it. She was proud to be in the Lady Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and enjoyed knowing she had additional supplementals being added. Her giving nature and love of family will remain in our hearts forever and we will dearly miss her!

Valerie was preceded in death by her father DeWayne Gerald Otteman, her husband Russell Stephen Clark, her grandparents Clarence R. and Aylene Otteman and James. L. and Myrtis Brett, and her closest friends, Thomas Eubanks and Paul David Anthony Phy.

She is survived by her mother, Marilyn Brett Otteman, of Harlingen; her children, Bradley Clark and his wife Chelsea, of Dallas, TX, Juliet Clark, of Austin, TX and her father David Lewis, of South Padre Island, TX, Georgianna Clark, of Austin, TX and Francine Clark, of Harlingen, TX; her grandchildren, Landyn Clark and Lincoln Clark, of Dallas, TX; her brother, Brett Otteman and his fiancée Kathy Nash, of Galveston, TX; her sisters, Elizabeth Otteman, of Euless, TX, Marilyn Griffin and her husband Michael, of Houston, TX, and Myrtis Loudermilk Acuavera and her husband Ruben, of San Angelo, TX; her aunt, Laurie Brett Ritchie and her husband Butch of Harlingen, TX; her nieces and nephews, Kellie Otteman, Brett Otteman, Eric Otteman, Michael Griffin IV, Matthew Griffin, Mackenzie Griffin, Marilyn Griffin, DeWayne Loudermilk and Myrtis Loudermilk; and numerous other family members, including the cousins she loved dearly and close friends.

Valerie’s wishes were to have a private family Funeral Mass and be buried in the family plot in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Donations may be made to the Sisters of St. Ann c/o Mount St. Ann, 1120 N. Center Street, Ebensburg, PA. 15931.