Obit of Owens, Delores June Fuller (o520) - Unknown County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 18 Aug 2004 Return to Unknown County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/okstate.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== DELORES JUNE FULLER OWENS Published on July 21, 2003 The Santa Rosa Press Democratt Services will be Saturday for Delores June Fuller Owens, an active member of Rincon Valley's Church of Christ who died July 16. She was 66. She was known in the congregation as the "Sunshine Lady" because she loved sending cards and flowers on behalf of families in her church. She was born in Oklahoma, but spent most of her life in Santa Rosa, graduating from Santa Rosa High School in 1955 and later from Santa Rosa Junior College. She worked as a teacher's aide in the Wright School District for 26 years. She is survived by her sister, Joyce Waterman; her daughter, DeNice Menketos; her son, David Owens, all of Santa Rosa; and two grandchildren. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park Chapel, 1700 Pleasant Hill Road, Sebastopol. Burial will follow. The family suggests contributions to the Pacific Christian Academy, P.O. Box 369 Graton 95444. ========= DELORES OWENS Published on July 20, 2003 The Santa Rosa Press Democratt Delores June Fuller Owens, best remembered by fellow members of the Rincon Valley Church of Christ as the "Sunshine Lady" because she always sent cards and flowers, died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. She was 66. "Even by her deathbed, mother would keep a box of sympathy, get well and birthday cards," said her daughter, De-Nice Menektos of Santa Rosa. "Ever since I was a child she had a calendar on the fridge with everyone in the congregation's important dates. She always took it upon herself to let those going through hardships know that she was praying for them." Owens, a lifelong resident of Santa Rosa, was born two months prematurely in 1937 while her parents were journeying from Oklahoma to California. According to the family story, Owens' life began with a big bang, after her mother was struck by lightning while pregnant. Owens was subsequently born on the road prematurely with shades of blue skin, Menektos said. While a doctor insisted that the baby wouldn't survive, Owens' grandfather refused to give up hope. Owens quickly bounced back and grew up happy and healthy. In 1954, a year before graduating from Santa Rosa High School, she married Randle Wade Owens, a handsome young man with an Elvis Presley-style haircut. "Mom had seen Dad at school before, but thought her parents wouldn't approve of him," Menektos said. "Then one night at a Bible study in Petaluma, there was Randy, the cute guy with ducktails and greaser hair. He was a member of her church!" That night he asked permission to drive her home and within two weeks they were engaged. He proposed at 11:45 a.m. on Hearn Avenue; that night she started a diary in which she wrote all about it. Shortly after, on bended knee, Randle Owens received a marriage blessing from Delores' father on the condition that she finish school. Delores, still a junior in high school at the time, married in 1954 and graduated in 1955. After raising two children, she enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College and earned an associate's degree. She then worked as a teacher's aide in the Wright School District for 26 years. Her hobbies included baking, sewing and gardening. In addition to her daughter, Owens is survived by her son, David Owens of Santa Rosa; her sister, Joyce Waterman of Santa Rosa; and two grandchildren. Randle Owens died in 2001. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park's Chapel in Sebastopol with burial to follow. Donations may be made in Owens' memory to the Pacific Christian Academy, P.O. Box 369, Graton 95444. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Unknown County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/okstate.html