Bessie Shoemake
Bessie Shoemake, age 107, of Muskogee passed away Nov. 18, 2020, at the Wagoner Health and Rehab Center in Wagoner.
She was born Feb, 15, 1913, in Ash Flat, Ark., to George Washington Conover and Fannie Elizabeth Fitch. The family moved to Oklahoma when she was around two years old. They settled in an area southeast of Porum. She met and married Earl Nelson. They made their home on a farm southeast of Briartown where three children were born; Jerald Dee, Margarette Elaine and Larry Dean. The family moved to California in 1943 and returned to the farm in 1948. Her first husband, Earl, passed away in 1960. She married Carl Shoemake on Oct. 24, 1970. They lived in Muskogee. Carl passed away on July 24, 2005. Bessie moved to the Wagoner Residential Care Center in Wagoner in 2009 and then into their Health and Rehab in 2018.
Bessie was preceded in death by her parents, George and Fannie Conover; five sisters; and her daughter, Margarette Lowery.
Bessie is survived by her sons, Jerald Nelson and wife, Joanne, and Larry Nelson and wife, Chris; seven grandchildren, Kirk Lowery and wife, Patty, Kelly Anderson and husband, Robert, Kim Nelson, Sandra Warner and husband, David, David Nelson and wife, Gina, Danny Nelson and wife, Kathleen, Diana Aldridge and husband, Dan; 19 great-grandchildren, Dwayne, Melissa, Stephanie, Megan, Ricky, JD, Daryl, Evan, Brock, Brance, Jordyn, Ashley, Megan, Eric, Cierra, Dhillon, Casey, Kiley Shae and Tancy; and 17 great-great grandchildren, Everly, Dominic, Camron, Ryder, Blair, Allie, Jude, Kyle Rose, Analeigh, Zoey, Jade, Sinjin, Kaden, Lucas, Brenney, Diesel and Zoey.
A special thanks to Melissa Lowery for staying with Bessie during her last days.
A Celebration of Life was held at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, at Freewill Baptist Church in Porum with Pastor Brian Wendlandt officiating. Interment followed at Coleman Cemetery under the direction of Mallory-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory of Stigler.
Pallbearers were Kirk Lowery, Robert Anderson, Jerry Shoemake, Sinjin Lowery, Dewayne Lowery and Melissa Lowery.