Obituary for Alta Owens

Ponca City Now - December 15, 2015 12:00 am

Alta Mae Owens

(August 29, 1923 – December 14, 2015)

Alta Mae Owens of Blackwell, Oklahoma, died Monday evening, December 14, 2015, in the Hillcrest Manor Nursing Home at the age of 92 years.

Alta Mae Owens was born on August 29, 1923, on the Bonewell family farm, west of Blackwell, to William McKinley and Hazel Mae (James) Bonewell. As a young girl she attended Cooper Grade School and Blackwell Public Schools and graduated from Blackwell High School. Following her education she moved to Wichita, Kansas, where she worked for Boeing during World War II. After the war she returned to Blackwell and began working for the Hazel-Atlas Glass Plant. During the Korean War she moved to Parsons, Kansas, where she worked at an ammunition plant. In the late 1950’s she married Bob Owens and they settled in Bethany, Oklahoma, where she worked for General Electric for fifteen years. She then traveled with her husband where his work took them. He preceded her in death on November 28, 1994, and she continued to make Bethany her home where she owned and operated a ceramic shop. Following his death she traveled extensively around the world with Gerry Ressler, who she considered as a sister. When ill health forced to stop traveling she ran a bridge club in Oklahoma City for ten years. In 2008 she moved to Blackwell to make her home. She was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene. She enjoyed working in her yard and garden, but her love was playing card games with family and friends.

She is survived by a brother, Curtis Bonewell and wife Phyllis of Blackwell; a niece, Karen Roberts of Blackwell; a step-son, Danny Owens of Oklahoma City; special friends, Linnie Gray of Norman, Gerry Ressler of Chicago, and Anna Beard of Blackwell; and many nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Marie Smith and Pauline Rowe; a step-son, Robert Owens; and three brothers-in-law, Myron Smith, Roy Rowe and Harold Rowe.

Services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Saturday, December 19th in the First Church of the Nazarene in Blackwell with Rev. Herb Berkley officiating. Burial will follow in the Blackwell Cemetery.

Casketbearers will be David Rohrs, Craig Webb, Chad Cunningham, Roy Webb, Darrell Rowe and Richard Smith. Honorary casketbearers will be the nieces and nephews of Alta Mae Owens.

A memorial has been established in her honor with the First Church of the Nazarene in c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.