Shirley Ruth Porter Mullen

Shirley Ruth Porter Mullen who was born in Quapaw, Oklahoma on May 23, 1934 passed away on April 27, 2010 after a short battle with lymphoma. She was the only daughter of Opal and Howard Porter, who were residents in the Quapaw/Peoria, Oklahoma area all their lives. Shirley is survived by her brothers and their wives: Glenn and Connie of Van Buren, Arkansas; Edward and Mary Lou of Frisco, Texas, and Norman and Carol of Kingwood, Texas and a number of cousins living in the Miami, Oklahoma area.

She attended grades 1 through 8 at Moccasin Bend No. 5, east of Miami, Oklahoma, and graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1951. Her Bachelor of Arts degree was from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. She also studied in Germany.

After a brief career as a teacher, she left the United States to work with a missionary service in New Guinea. Her devotion to the Christian faith and to Bible study was remarkable in its intensity. Also, she continued to support missionary service monetarily throughout her life.

Upon her return to the United States, she lived in Shawnee, Oklahoma where she worked as a librarian. Her love of reading was a continual focus which she shared with family and friends.

In 1980, she married Robert Mullen and moved to his family home in Portage, Wisconsin. Upon his retirement, they established a residence in Van Buren, Arkansas. There, she was involved in tutorial services under the auspices of the University of Arkansas and with children in the area.

In all her years, Shirley devoted her time not only to reading but also to writing. She found joy when one of her devotionals was published.

Another of her talents was a beautiful singing voice which she shared at family celebrations.

She loved to delve into her family’s history and had a remarkable fund of information about its members and events. She also always made an attempt to keep in contact with all her relatives, far and near.

After the death of her husband in 2005, she moved to Ft. Smith, Arkansas and continued to read, write, keep in touch with family, and work in her flower garden.

Visitation will be held on Sunday afternoon, May 2, 2010, from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith, AR.

Funeral service will be held in Miami, Oklahoma at the Paul Thomas Funeral Home on Monday, May 3, 2010, at 2:00 PM. She will be buried near her parents and husband in the Lowell, Kansas Cemetery.