Loretta Jean Shade "LoWeSi"

Loretta Jean Hadley Shade, or “Grandma, “Gigi”, “Uncle Retta”, Aunt Loretta , or just Sister, was born on March 20th, 1946 in Tahlequah, OK, the daughter of Rufus and Marjorie (Tucker) Henson. She grew up in the Lost City Community with her four sisters and one brother, Jerry Wayne Henson, Katherine Patterson, Gina Blackfox, Verna “Bonnie” Thompson, and Martha Ann Ketcher. She attended school and in August of 1962 she married Hastings Shade in Tahlequah, OK. Together they raised a family of three sons, Larry, Thomas, and Ronald. Their greatest accomplishment was raising these three fine young men. She adored her family, and stayed where she could cook, clean and be there for all of their sporting events. As the boys grew more independent, she turned her thoughts towards the Cherokee people, their culture and their language, and the impact it had on all of their lives. In true Loretta fashion, always wanting to be a blessing to the people she loved, she attended NSU, obtaining her Masters in Education, her degree in Counseling, and her Masters in the Cherokee Language. Everything about the Cherokee People instilled pride and a passion for preserving their lives, from the food they ate to the language that held them to their ancestors. This alone should have made her head and shoulders above the rest. Not Loretta. She remained true to herself, always staying humble to the gifts given her, and sharing her wealth of knowledge with everyone that wanted to learn. The table was always ready to receive another guest, no one left her home hungry. She cooked traditional food, gathered wild onions, watercress, and made the best dumplings, frybread and biscuits and gravy. She taught at NSU for over 18 years, teaching the Cherokee Language, and assisting untold numbers of students needing to obtain a GED to better their lives and the families they loved. What little time she had that wasn’t helping others, she loved to keep Hastings company, hunting and fishing. She could play softball, basketball, shoot cornstalks and bow and arrows with the best of them. She didn’t just raise her boys, she raised a community of young people, and they were treated like special guests at their home whenever they visited. She loved accompanying her family to the creek for the day and catching their meal for the evening. She packed as much fun and adventure in a day as it would hold. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She was always there, in the background, letting them know she was watching. In 2018 she was given the distinction of being honored as a National Treasure of the Cherokee Nation, a honor she never took lightly. Even when Hastings had passed on before her, she remained true to leaving her family and friends better off for having known her. A Baptist by faith, she attended both Keener and Swimmer Baptist Churches. With her work completed, she passed from this life on March 29th, 2021 following her 75th birthday. She has shown a generation of people what can be if everyone teaches the next generation to come.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, David and Maggie (Rabbit) Tucker, and Richard and Emily (Keener) Henson. She joins her husband, her parents, Rufus and Margie Henson, one nephew, Scottie Blackfox and a brother-in-law, Thurman Blackfox.

She leaves her legacy, three sons, Larry Shade and wife Shelley, Thomas Wayne Shade, and Ronald Shade, all of Lost City. She leaves her brother and sisters, Reverend Jerry Henson of Lost City, OK, Katherine Patterson of Tahlequah, Gina Blackfox, Bonnie Thompson both of Lost City, and Martha Ann “Mert” Ketcher and husband Ralph Jr. of Mount Juliet, TN. She lives on in the four grand and seven great grandchildren, Chad Shade and wife Danielle of Tahlequah, Dustin Shade and wife Samantha of Shady Grove, OK, Katie Shade of Lost City, and Heather Roach of Muskogee, OK. Her great grandchildren are Christian Botts, Jake Botts and Coby Botts all of Lost City, Thea Shade of Shady Grove, and three soon-to-be born additions to her legacy, Braylen Shade, and twins Noah and Norah Shade, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of students whose lives she touched over the years.

Funeral services for Loretta Jean Hadley-Shade will be held on Thursday, April 1st, 2021 at 2:00 PM at Reed-Culver Funeral Home with Pastor Sam Keener, Pastor Jim Carey, Former Principal Chief Bill John Baker, Former Principal Chief Joe Byrd, and Jerry Henson officiating. Loretta’s pallbearers include Kyle Ketcher, Aidan Carey, Johnny D. Meigs, Thane Patterson, Ethan Thompson, and Dustin Shade. Her honorary pallbearers include Former Principal Chief Bill John Baker, Former Principal Chief Joe Byrd, Chris Teuton, former lifetime running mate Reverend Jimmy Carey, Dr. Neil Morton and all of the students she taught to preserve the Cherokee Language. Her family will have a visitation on Wednesday, March 31st, 2021 beginning at 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM and then a Wake Service from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Reed-Culver. She will be laid to rest at Keener Cemetery next to her husband, Former Deputy Chief Hastings Shade. Online condolences for Loretta may be left at www.reedculver.com.