Shirley Bain

Welcome to Shirley Clarice Elliott Bain’s Last Family Reunion

Shirley and Ruel were married at sunrise on Christmas morning 1952 at Valliant and were peacefully reunited sixty-six years later on Christmas morning 2018 at Paris.

She was born during the heat wave on August 5, 1934 on the family farm near Wright City, Oklahoma , the baby daughter of seven children of Mary LaVada Hughes and Bernie Baucom Elliott, Sr. She attended Wright City Public Schools in the early grades and after the family moved to Oklahoma City during the War she went to school at Stand Watie Elementary and Stonewall Jackson Junior High. After the war they returned to McCurtain County and the Valliant area where she graduated from High School in 1953. During those years she lived the typical life of a high schooler. She would help her father with his "Tom Fuller" patches of peanuts, cotton and corn and during the summers pick tomatoes, beans, peas and okra at local truck farms. It was during those days she developed a fairly strong aversion for gardening. She was also part of cheerleading the boys basketball team to the 1951 Class B state championship. Without a doubt her "strong and powerful" voice helped motivate the boys to victory. For the rest of her life she would talk and talk and talk on just about any subject.

After marriage she lived at Apache, Oklahoma and Columbus, Georgia while Ruel was in the Army and they began their family. After his discharge they returned to Valliant and later moved to Oklahoma City briefly until he returned to college at Oklahoma A&M. They lived in Stillwater for the next five years where she kept house, baby sit and sold Avon products.

In 1961 they moved to Braman, Oklahoma and in 1962 to Antlers when Ruel became employed by the Soil Conservation Service. A few years later she began selling Knapp shoes which continued until the company was bought out and she also had brief stints as a bookkeeper for Maple Chevrolet and as the Pushmataha County crew leader for the 1970 US Census. She began her Federal employment at Antlers and Hugo in the early 1970's at the USDA Farmers Home Administration and continued until the mid 1990's when she retired. Throughout her marriage she assisted her husband with his auctions which only ended a few years before his death. She really enjoyed the auctions and both did them more for the pure enjoyment than any financial gain.

She was baptized early in life and was a member of Southern Baptist churches where she lived. She taught Sunday School at Antlers for young adults and school age children for years and assisted in VBS and other programs. She also worked with the Push County Election Board and Kiamichi Quarterhorse Association. Shirley was a member of American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed attending the Valliant Alumni Association Reunion every May. She loved her extended family and lived for the reunions. If you knew Shirley (as Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Inlaw, cousin or friend) you knew she had high expectations for you and was a determined, independent woman. She could be strong willed and nothing illustrated it better than the battles she had with her equally strong willed pet cat, Cali.

Survivors are her sons Bill Bain, Antlers, and Keith Bain, Valliant. Two daughters and their spouses, Anita & Tom Cothran, McKinney, Tx and Trisha Bain & Les Fry, Antlers. Six grandchildren, Lee Bradley & Kelli Cothran and Casey, William, Emily, & Lonnie Bain. Two sister in laws, Anna Myrle Elliott and Norma Bain and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Ruel Bain, Sr. Parents, Baucom and Vada Elliott. Four brothers Bernie, Allen, Arzie and Rayburn Elliott. Two sisters Pearl Oswell and Edna Elliott. And in-laws Oscar, Reba & Joe Bain.

Pallbearers will be nephews and friends.

Services will be held 1PM Saturday, December 29, 2018 at First Baptist Church of Antlers.

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