Ouita Marie (Roberts) Shelton

Ouita Shelton, 82, died Tuesday, July 5, 2011, in Dallas, Texas. She was born Dec. 7, 1928, in Taft, Texas, the daughter of Ira and Lena Roberts. Her father was in the lumber business, and during her early years, her family moved frequently around South Texas. For her high school years, they settled in Harlingen, Texas, where she made friends that were close to her throughout her life. She attended Abilene Christian College where she met and married Louis Shelton in 1948. They moved to Boulder, Colorado, where Louis attended graduate school. They moved back to Abilene in 1949 and to Lake Jackson in 1950, where they both went to work for Dow - Louis as a chemist, Ouita as a secretary. When their first daughter, Lisa, was born, Ouita stayed home to raise her and second daughter, Barb. Louis was transferred by Dow to Hong Kong in 1973, which fueled their love of traveling the world. They returned to Lake Jackson in 1977 where they lived until she moved to Dallas in 2008. She and Louis were a very special couple who devoted their lives to each other. They made friends easily, entertained frequently and loved their life in Lake Jackson. They devoted a lot of their time supporting the Brazosport community and were recognized in 2001 as Philanthropists of the Year by the Community Foundation of Brazoria County. In 2006 the Southwest Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Research Institute honored Ouita as a Steel Magnolia. Ouita was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ. She volunteered for the Lake Jackson Library, Southwest SIDS Research Institute and the Brazosport Health Foundation. She was also a member of PEO, a philanthropic education organization. She and Louis also were supporters of scholarships at Abilene Christian University. Ouita is survived by her two children, Lisa Barnes and Barb Mayben of Dallas; two grandsons, David Barnes and Jacob Barnes of Austin; and her sister, Dorothy Bradley of Austin. She was preceded in death by Louis in 2007.