Shirley Ann Park's Obituary
Shirley Ann (Harris) Park was born in Rogers, AR on January 7, 1934 to the late Elmer and Ruby (Sager) Harris. She was born in her Grandma Sager’s white farmhouse, on what we called Green Valley Farm, located on the property that we now know as Village on the Creeks.
She graduated from Rogers High School in 1952. She continued her education at Ouachita Baptist College and then Carson-Newman College, where she graduated in 1956. In 1959 she received her Master of Education Degree from Peabody Teachers College in Nashville, TN. She worked her way through school with jobs at a shoe store, diner, campus cafeteria, department store in KC, and spent her summers as a Girl Scout camp counselor. She loved stargazing and traveling. Her favorite trip was to Europe where she toured 13 countries and the Holy Land.
Following the completion of her degrees, Shirley moved to Tulsa, OK where she taught elementary school students in all grades and subjects. She always said 5th grade was her favorite grade to teach, and English her favorite subject. She used her gift of teaching at church as well, teaching the Bible to ages birth through teens. She was involved in missions and taught English to international students through the Laubach Literacy Program.
Shirley met and married Dean Ross Park at First Baptist Church, Tulsa. They were married on November 12, 1960 and were happily married for nearly 64 years. They raised their two daughters Deann and Sharon in Tulsa. In 1990, when her first grandchildren were born, Shirley retired from teaching. She and Dean traveled all over the United States and became interested in genealogy. Together they wrote and self-published genealogy books for her Austin, Dodge, Sager, and (nearly finished) Leib ancestors. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Tulsa Genealogical Society, Astronomy Club of Tulsa, Dodge Family Association, and Austin Family Associations of America.
In 2005, she and Dean returned to Rogers. They joined First Baptist Church which her grandfather, Rev. G. C. Harris helped establish. She was a prayer warrior. She often said, “We can’t do anything about that, but we know Someone who can, so let’s pray”.
Shirley Ann Park passed on to her heavenly home November 3, 2024. She is survived by her husband, Dean Park of Rogers; daughters Deann Thompson and Sharon Maxey (Jerry); sisters Barbara Youree and Marilyn Collins; 7 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. A visitation will begin at 12:00 in First Baptist Church, Rogers, Olive Street campus, with a celebration of her life to follow at 1:00. Burial will be at Rogers Cemetery, Rogers, AR.
Donations may be made to First Baptist Church, Rogers: International Missions.
Online condolences may be made at www.bernafuneralhomes.com
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