Cleora Butler

August 27, 1901 - 1985

Illustration by Brittanie Mitchell

Cleora Butler was an Oklahoman cook who developed her culinary skills by growing up around Black folks who not only cooked everything from scratch, but also were the type to grow their food and build their pantries from the ground up. From her mother she learned countless ways to skillfully cook and bake cuisines that combined home style cooking with other cuisines.