Shirley Irene Rowland

Shirley Irene Rowland, a lifelong area resident, of Dewey, was 86 when she died Sunday in Tulsa. Shirley was born the daughter of James Joseph and Irene Lotus (Campbell) Adams on April 23, 1938, in Lenapah, OK. She grew up in and around Wann, Lenapah and Copan, on the family’s small farm where they had chickens, cows and horses. She loved spending time with her two sisters. Shirley graduated from Dewey High School in 1956. She married and one son Steve soon joined their family. Together, some 60 years ago, they built the home she still lived in to recent days. Shirley stayed home with Steve when he was young, then she worked various jobs and even owned the Pizza Inn in Bartlesville. She retired from Phillips Petroleum in the early 1990s. In 2013 she married Otis Rowland and they enjoyed the past 12 years together. Shirley loved her son and grandchildren, and she was especially excited to learn her youngest would be a girl. Over the years Shirley enjoyed taking the girls on girl trips to Branson and spending special girl time together. In recent years she was proud of the fact that her great granddaughter had red hair just like she did and Shirley told everyone she met about it. When Steve was young they enjoyed trips to the lake and later on, had a cabin at Grand Lake. Shirley enjoyed traveling to senior softball tournaments near and far which were Otis’s passion. She enjoyed horses and playing cards every Tuesday at the 55 Plus Senior Center in Bartlesville. Most of all Shirley loved her family and spending time with each one of them. She will be dearly missed. Shirley is survived by her husband Otis; son Steve (LaDonna) Viles; sisters Janice Johnson and Jo Ann (Don) Apt; grandchildren Nicole (Dillon) McKinney, Tanner (Lisa) Viles and Eric (Olga) Gifford; eight great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 12-8 at the Davis Family Funeral Home & Crematory – Walker Brown Chapel, 918-333-7665, 4201 Nowata Rd. Services will be held on Friday, 10 a.m., at the Davis Family Funeral Home & Crematory – Walker Brown Chapel. Interment will follow in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Carter Davis and the Davis Family Funeral Home & Crematory – Walker Brown Chapel. Online condolences and remembrances may be shared at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com.

Shirley Irene Rowland

April 23, 1938 - December 22, 2024