Retta Shaw

Retta (pronounced Rita) Patterson Shaw was born May 18, 1926, in Stilwell, OK. She was born in a cave, due to a storm in the area. She grew up with 14 in her family. She met her husband, Sam Shaw, on the fourth of July, 1950, in Littlefield, TX, where she was working at the time. They were married December 20, 1950, and honeymooned at Carlsbad Caverns. She and Sam were married 65 years.

She is survived by her faithful husband, Sam, three children, Sam, Jr, of Germantown, TN, Ron of Broken Arrow, OK, and Susan Pennington, of Glenpool, Ok, two daughter-in-laws and a son-in-law, nine grandchildren, and twenty-two great grandchildren. She is also survived by a brother, Doyle Patterson of Bridgeport, Texas, and a sister, Virginia Mabry, of Anadarko, OK.

She occasionally worked in retail sales but her joy was being a homemaker. Retta was a good seamstress, good cook, and took pride in her home. She loved the Lord, loved to read her Bible, and she loved music and worship. She experienced deep assurance of her salvation and was baptized as a 70 year old woman. Her joy was her Sunday School class and friends, and she sought ways to share her faith with neighbors by distributing copies of Daily Bread.

In her later years, she and Sam moved from Oklahoma to the Memphis area. Retta went to heaven early in the morning of June 5, 2015.

All are invited to a gathering at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Ave., for a time of fellowship and refreshments in celebration of Retta’s life on Monday, June 8 from 6-8 pm. Services will be held on Tuesday, June 9 at 10:45am in the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery Rotunda.