Obit of Shaw, Thelma Irene Burks - Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 10 Nov 2004 Return to Oklahoma County Archives: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/oklahoma/oklahoma.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Daily Oklahoman 4 Aug 2002 Shaw, Thelma Irene Burks Thelma Irene Burks Shaw 6/14/1917 7/12/2002 Thelma was born in her parent's farmhouse in Hooker, Oklahoma. She attended a one room school house, where she and her sisters June and Clarabelle would sometimes walk the 2 miles to school. She later attended Goodwill A&M, and then the University of Oklahoma where she met her lifelong partner, Ray Shaw. She then taught elementary school for 5 years in Baker, Oklahoma, finally allowing Ray to marry her on June 6th, 1943 in Hooker. They lived in Long Beach, California, where her husband served in the US Navy. After the war, they returned to Oklahoma City, where they lived together until moving to California to live with their son in 1999. Thelma helped her husband build his Shaw Drug store business while raising their son Doug, and adopted daughter Betty. She was in charge of the kindergarten program at Linwood United Methodist Church for nearly 50 years. She was active in the United Methodist Women at Linwood, and also helped Ray in the development of the Frontier Drugstore Museum in Guthrie, OK. Thelma was always quiet and overly humble, caring for everyone, always looking for the good side of anyone she met. She displayed incredible patience, and her sisters remember her as always being the peacemaker in the family. Thelma always loved to be outdoors in nature. She and Ray enjoyed many family vacations traveling the US and the world alone, or on trips together with their son Douglas' family to Europe, Costa Rica and a glorious 50th wedding anniversary trip with the entire family to Moorea. She was a prolific letter and postcard writer, and never failed to make homemade fudge and cinnamon rolls for the holidays. After moving to Santa Barbara, Thelma and Ray were active in the Senior group at the First United Methodist Church. Thelma is survived by her son Dr. Douglas Shaw, his wife Mila, granddaughters Yana Shaw and Dr. Tania Shaw, her husband Dr. Mathew Abrahams. Also her sisters June and Clarabelle Mathes, Thelma's adopted daughter Betty Swain with her children Joe Don, Kristina, and Marty. Thelma's departure followed her husband Ray's death by only 6 months. We miss them both very much, but we are happy in knowing that they are together again, as they had been in life for the past 60 years. A graveside memorial service will be held at a later date for Thelma and Ray together, in Oklahoma City. Memorial donations may be sent to the Children's nursery program, Linwood United Methodist Church, 3034 NW 17th St., OKC, OK 73107. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Oklahoma County Archives: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/oklahoma/oklahoma.html