Wyona Harshaw

Wyona Harshaw passed away on February 19, 2025 in Midwest City, OK, at the age of 91. She was born on March 12, 1933 in Bristow, OK, to Frank and Irene (Rush) Henshaw. She grew up on a farm with her brothers and sisters in Bristow, Oklahoma. Her first job was working in the cafeteria at Washington School in Bristow in order to get a free lunch. At age 13, she went to work at Buford's Cafe as a waitress as well as working at Jimmy Woods Insurance, Rexall Drug Store, and as a substitute Art teacher.

Wyona met her husband , Bob, at Bristow Roller Rink where Bob was working as a bouncer. She married Bob Harshaw on February 11, 1951, at the age of 17. Bob's job in the army took them to Killeen, Texas, where Wyona enrolled in school and finished her Senior year. After Bob finished boot camp and shipped out to Germany, Wyona moved back to Bristow and live in Arlene Howard's basement. Upon Bob's return, she worked as a sales clerk at Anthony's in Bristow. She continued working for Anthony's in the shoe department after they moved to Lawton, OK where they built their house and had Robert and was pregnant with Raymond when Bob joined the Highway Patrol. After Bob finished training, they moved to Muskogee, OK, where Wyona continued working for Anthony's as a Shoe Department head for about a year. She then transferred to Anthony's in Tulsa, OK, where she did the window display as an extra duty, while living in Bixby, OK. Then she moved to Shroud, OK in 1960, where Wyona worked at the Garment Factory in Bristow. Bob was promoted to Lieutenant and moved back to Lawton, where Wyona worked part-time at Anthony's and had Ronald. In 1967, Bob was transferred to the office of the Department of Public Safety Uniform Highway Patrol in Oklahoma City, OK, where they subsequently bought a house in Midwest City. She worked for Oklahoma Publishing Co. and Johnson Marketing. She was a P.T.A President and one of the founders and President of the Craft Designer's Organization. She had an entrepreneurial spirit with her talent for designing and creating unique items as well as being a gifted seamstress. Her other hobbies consisted of travel, playing games, and slot machines. She and Bob were members of a bowling league and enjoyed dancing with live bands.

Wyona was preceded in death by her husband Bob, mother and father; Son David, who died at birth; brother Duane (Virgina) Henshaw, brother Bernard (Betty) Henshaw, brother Myron (Doris) Henshaw, brother Oscar (Jewel) Henshaw; and brother Tommy (Margarette) Henshaw. She is survived by brother Gerald (Helen) Henshaw, sister Bonita (Bill) Childress, sister Juanita Mason, sister Norma (Willie) Hallman; son Robert and wife Valarie, son Raymond and wife Jeana, son Ronald and wife Debra; grandchildren Sarah (Ruben) Velasco, Lyle (Tristina) Harshaw, Jared Harshaw, Ashley (Craig) Daigle, Caitlin (Stephen) St. Clair, Ryan (Kyndra) Harshaw, Witney (Ben) Pruitt, Dustin (Taylor) Harshaw; great-grandchildren Michael, Eli, Asher, Shiloh, Raelyn, Graceyn, Aharon, Loden, Levi, Malakhi, Ezekiel, Enoch, Courtnie, Ryder, Khloe, Emberlee, Branson, and Blakeley.