5-29-09 obituaries

JAMES SHAW

DALLAS, Texas — James Edward Shaw died May 14, 2009, at a Dallas hospital.

Raised in Ada, Okla., his grandparents owned Shaws Nickel Dime Store, now The Shaw Center in Ada, Okla.

Mr. Shaw graduated from high school at Webb Boys School in Bell Buckle, Tenn., serving as captain of the football team and graduating cum laude. He attended the University of Oklahoma his freshman year before transferring to SMU and graduating in 1956. He was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and active in many social activities.

He was a former member of Dallas Country Club where he won the flight of the President’s Cup in 1967. As a former member at Preston Trail Golf Club, he was runner up in the club championship in 1981.

Upon graduating from SMU, Mr. Shaw started his business career as a stockbroker for Sneider, Bernet & Hickman, a New York Exchange Firm. After five years as a broker he entered the real estate business, first as a commercial broker, and later as a builder/developer. For the past 35 years he constructed and developed upper end residential and commercial properties in Dallas and Los Angeles. Mr. Shaw also served as executive director of new housing for the Jon Douglas Company in Los Angeles and was president of Centaur Construction Company in Los Angeles.

For the past five years D Magazine has named him in the “Best Builder List” and his homes have been featured in many publications. His Dallas companies were Bent Tree Homes, Shaw & Associates and James Shaw Company.

Mr. Shaw was preceded in death by his father James Lanford Shaw; mother, Ruth Shipe Shaw; son, James Edward Shaw Jr.; and daughter, Karen Ruth Shaw.

Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Catherine Wilcox Shaw; son, Sean Devereaux Wrather; granddaughter, McKenzie Wrather; and former Ada relatives Martha Shipe Ehrlich Jones and Rosemary Shipe McBee of Poteau.

Services for Mr. Shaw were private. Plans for a memorial service are pending and will be announced at a later date. Final respects can be paid by signing the condolence book at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home, Dallas, Texas, at www.dignitymemorial.com or www.adaeveningnews.com.

Memorials may be made to the SPCA or Susan Komen Race for the Cure.



DONNA LEE

SEMINOLE — Services for Donna Sue Conner Lee, 74, lifelong Seminole resident, are 2 p.m. Saturday, May 30, 2009, Tom Newell officiating. Burial follows at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens in Seminole.

Ms. Lee died Wednesday, May 27, 2009, in Shawnee. She was born Sept. 17, 1934, in Seminole to Mamie Eberly and Jelly Conner.

She was employed by Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator for more than 25 years. She then owned and operated Latta Grocery in Ada for 12 years. After she sold her business she then went to work for Cable Vision in Seminole. She also helped in the family businesses at Swearingen Funeral Home and Bill Weems Oil, Inc., until her retirement.

Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Timmie and Danny Myers, Shady Point, Okla.; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Connie Weems and Pam and Clark Nowlin of Seminole; brother and sister-in-law, Ronnie and Glenda Conner of Seminole; two nieces, Terry Swearingen and husband Bob and Sheila Parks of Seminole; nephews, Ricky Conner and wife Tammy, Trace Conner and wife Shelly, Derek Henley and wife Danielle, all of Seminole and Damon Henley and wife Rhonda of Shawnee; five grandchildren, Tory Myers and wife Sabra, Durant, Tyla Myers, Shady Point, Shannon and Brad Smith, Lebanon, Mo., Lacee and Nick Andrews, Washington, Okla., Lindsey and Casey Myers, Washington, Okla.; 14 great-grandchildren, Hagan, Gavin and Brighton Smith, Maddison and Jace Myers, Jaxton and Tayte Myers, Tristan and Kylen Myers, and Kensley and Kendon Metcalf; and many other great-nieces, nephews and other family and friends.

Bearers are Ronnie Conner, Ricky Conner, Andrew Conner, Trace Conner, Bob Swearingen, Beau Swearingen, Derek Henley, Damon Henley, Cord Henley, Kash Parks, Danny Myers, Tory Myers, Hugh Megee, Chris Waddell, Michael Rose, Dane Allensworth and Kevin Brinker.

Messages of condolences may be sent to the family online at www.swearingenfuneralhome.com or www.adaeveningnews.com.

Swearingen Funeral Home, Seminole



KATHY HARMON

FLINT, Texas — Services for Kathy Lou Gurley Harmon, 57, Flint, Texas, formerly of Ada, Okla., are pending with Criswell Funeral Home, Ada. She died Thursday, May 28, 2009, at Tyler, Texas.

Criswell Funeral Home, Ada



HELEN AUSTIN

ADA — Services for Helen Austin, 85, Ada, are 11 a.m. Saturday, May 30, 2009, at Reaper Baptist Church in Ada. Burial follows at Athens Cemetery in Ada. Officiating will be Charles Miller.

Miss Austin died Monday, May 25, 2009, at her home in Ada. She was born Oct. 5, 1923, at Bristow to William Austin and Lillie L. Allen Austin.

Miss Austin lived in Ada for many years. She was a member of Reaper Baptist Church and a homemaker.

Survivors include a nephew, Walter Whitney Jr. and his wife Vivian, Ada; two nieces, Kathy Chatman, Tulsa, and Lillie Jefferson, California; and friend, Ella Mae Briggs, Ada.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Lillie Austin; three brothers, Julius Austin, Walter Whitney Sr. and Nathanel Austin; and two sisters, Frankie Austin and Lillian Jefferson.

Bearers are William Briggs Jr., Lester Albert, Walter Grant Jr., Leroy McFadden, Lonnie Blue Jr. and Al.

Honorary flower bearers are Clemateen Williamson and Dorothy Clark.

Online guestbooks are available at www.phillipsfuneralservice.com and www.adaeveningnews.com.

Smith-Phillips Funeral Home, Ada



CHRISTINE McKELROY

WYNNEWOOD — Graveside services for Christine June McKelroy, 80, Wynnewood, are 2 p.m. Monday, June 1, 2009, at Powell Cemetery in Hominy. She died May 28, 2009, at Wynnewood.

DeArman Funeral Home, Wynnewood