Claudette was born on April 11, 1935. She was the daughter of Vera and Claude Frank. Claudette graduated from Shawnee Mission High School. She joined Delta Delta Delta Sorority during her student days at Kansas State University. Claudette married Hayes Walker Ill in June 1956. Two children, Melody Walker and Hayley Walker Rees, were born during the marriage.

Claudette became involved in children's theater as a member of Kansas City Young Matrons. What started as a hobby later became a business: Claudette's Theatre on Wheels. Claudette performed one-woman shows based on the lives of famous women throughout history. At the height of her career, her repertoire included more than 30 women. Claudette wrote many of the scripts. She also employed other actors for bus tours and special events. Her motto was, "If it's going to be, it's up to me," Claudette lived in Kansas City for most of her life, with the exception of 13 years in Austin, Texas. In recent years, she was a resident of St. Louis, Missouri. Claudette loved parties and would give one at the drop of a hat. She was predeceased by her daughter, Melody Walker; her parents, Vera and Claude Frank, and the father of her children, Hayes Walker Ill. Her survivors include her daughter and son­ in-law, Hayley Walker Rees and Jack Rees; her grandchildren, Kyle O'Brien and Blair O'Brien; and Melody's partner, John Barth.