Obituary for Helen Watson

Helen Odell Watson, of Ponca City, went to her heavenly home on Monday, April 14, 2014 at Via Christi Village. She was 92 years of age.

Odell was born on October 19, 1921, in Mena, Arkansas, the daughter of James Hermon Shirley and Olive Lee Stokes Shirley.

She graduated from Mena High School in 1940 and went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as a switchboard operator. It was there that she met Eldon Watson when he came into the office to make a long distance phone call while on military leave with the U.S. Army. It was love at first sight. They were united in marriage on February 28, 1944, in Mena. Eldon preceded her in death on April 18, 1994.

The couple moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma in 1948. In addition to being a homemaker and wonderful seamstress, she worked in various jobs, including manager for the Top Value Stamp Store. When the stamp store closed she went to work for Edwards Ladies Wear, retiring in 1986.

Odell and Eldon loved to travel with tour groups and spent many years seeing sites throughout the USA. Yearly trips to Branson, Missouri was one of their excursions.

Odell accepted Jesus as her Savior at a young age and was always very active in her church. While raising her family she taught Sunday School classes, Vacation Bible School, Girls Auxiliary, and Women’s Missionary Union. Odell was a member of First Baptist Church and Miriam Sunday School Class. She loved music and singing with the Silvertone Choir and the Kay Baptist Association Choir. Odell also used her love for music to go to local nursing homes and the Senior Center to play the piano with a volunteer band.

Odell loved to fellowship with friends and spend time with her family. She always had a joke or a funny story to share. Odell was very thoughtful and had a very loving and kind spirit. She had dementia, an illness that takes your mind, but not your heart.

She is loved and will be missed by one daughter, Linda Steele and her husband Don of Ponca City; one son, Terry Lee Watson and his wife Sherry of Edmond, Oklahoma; one brother, James Harrell Shirley and wife Pat of Willis, Texas. Also five grandchildren, DeAwn Proo and her husband Ernest of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Darren Steele and his wife Alison of Yukon, Oklahoma; Jeff Watson and his wife Sarah of Edmond, Oklahoma; Brian Watson of Houston, Texas; Kevin Watson of Oklahoma City; four great grandchildren, Breawna Proo, Nathan Proo, Emily Steele and Avery Steele.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; sister and brother-in-law, Mary Lou Campbell and Coolidge Campbell; and sister-in-law, Joyce Shirley.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 17, 2014 at Grace Memorial Chapel with First Baptist Church Pastor Andy Taylor presiding. Interment will follow in Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery.

The family thanks the Memory Care staff at Via Christi Village for the loving care and respect shown to Odell during the 6 years she was a resident there.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, Falls Creek Fund, 218 South 6th Street, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601.