Gertsie (l), baby Shirley and Gertsie's sister Ethel.
Shirley Lois Lemke Gibbons
My mother, Shirley Lois Lemke Gibbons, died about 2 1/2 months before turning 40. I often think people who live shortened lives, somehow know it and live life more abundantly. She was like her father. She loved to have fun, laugh and be with family and friends. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1929 but by the time, David, her brother was born two years later, the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. This was during the Depression and my understanding is that, the plan had been to go to California but they ran out of money in Tulsa and remained there. She went to Tulsa Central High School. She and my father had been neighbors when she was around six years-old but they lost touch when his family moved south to 91st and Harvard for a job. He came back into her life some time after her junior year in high school and they soon eloped. She had made an agreement with the school to return and get her diploma but my Dad’s job took him to Texas and she never finished.
By the time I was born, they lived in Luling, Texas. She had a complicated pregnancy and serious issues that finally led to my Ceasarean birth. Over the next 5 years, they moved often with his job and by the time I was 5 or 6 they decided he needed to find a job that didn’t require relocating so often. They came back to Tulsa and my grandparents had started construction on a small frame house for us near them.
Before they moved back to Tulsa, my parents had two major setbacks. My brother, Michael David was born and was what they call a ‘blue baby’. Which meant he had a hole in his heart. Today, this is easily taken care of but in 1952, it was not. He died the same day he was born. Just weeks later, I was diagnosed with two kinds of polio and sleeping sickness. My dad says the doctors told him I was the sickest child at St. Johns Hospital in Tulsa with polio that didn’t die. I woke up eventually and with some therapy on my arms and legs, was fine.
My sister, Merry Beth, was born in July, 1955. I have always been a little envious that Merry Beth resembles our mother in looks and personality. Our mother was always home when we came home from school and usually if we had any news or had any trouble, she knew about it before we got home. By the late 50s, she suffered with strange aches and pains that was finally attributed to Rheumatoid Arthritis. On Father’s Day, and I don’t remember what year it was, I had probably just finished 6th grade, we had a fish fry outdoors with family and neighbors. My mother got a fishbone caught in her throat. She tried all the traditional things to get it to go down but nothing worked. Finally, my dad took her to the emergency room, where a Dr. Atchley extracted it but kept asking her questions and asked her to make an appointment with him. He diagnosed her true problem. She had Hodgkin’s Disease and had most likely had it for many years. Like my brother’s heart, Hodgkins is curable today but fatal in the 60s.
My mother loved Hollywood and movies and Hollywood gossip and it turned out the Dr. Atchley that discovered her Hodgkins was the father of John Ashley (married to actress Deborah Walley). John was famous for The A Team and some 60s beach movies. So this thrilled my mother. Due to her love of movies, Merry Beth and I saw Peyton Place and Valley of the Dolls and many movies that were deemed not appropriate.
From 1962 to 1969 when she died, there was much pain and suffering, chemo and shingles and trips to the hospital. Many weeks of my senior year, I left class early to take her to chemo treatments. And with all these tragic events in my parents 22 years of marriage, my memories are of happy and good times. She loved Christmas and invited all the family every year for Christmas Eve. She left Tulsa only twice that I recall, once on vacation to Colorado and once to Hot Springs, Arkansas. She treasured those trips the same as if she had gone to Paris or Hollywood. She had dear friends, Marie McComas, Nellie Ashmore and Helen Wert who stepped up to care for her and our family. She was much like George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life, blessed with dearest of friends that helped her and us through it all. ‘…no man (woman) is a failure who has friends.’ —Donna ‘Cathy’ Gibbons Reedy
By the time I was born, they lived in Luling, Texas. She had a complicated pregnancy and serious issues that finally led to my Ceasarean birth. Over the next 5 years, they moved often with his job and by the time I was 5 or 6 they decided he needed to find a job that didn’t require relocating so often. They came back to Tulsa and my grandparents had started construction on a small frame house for us near them.
Before they moved back to Tulsa, my parents had two major setbacks. My brother, Michael David was born and was what they call a ‘blue baby’. Which meant he had a hole in his heart. Today, this is easily taken care of but in 1952, it was not. He died the same day he was born. Just weeks later, I was diagnosed with two kinds of polio and sleeping sickness. My dad says the doctors told him I was the sickest child at St. Johns Hospital in Tulsa with polio that didn’t die. I woke up eventually and with some therapy on my arms and legs, was fine.
My sister, Merry Beth, was born in July, 1955. I have always been a little envious that Merry Beth resembles our mother in looks and personality. Our mother was always home when we came home from school and usually if we had any news or had any trouble, she knew about it before we got home. By the late 50s, she suffered with strange aches and pains that was finally attributed to Rheumatoid Arthritis. On Father’s Day, and I don’t remember what year it was, I had probably just finished 6th grade, we had a fish fry outdoors with family and neighbors. My mother got a fishbone caught in her throat. She tried all the traditional things to get it to go down but nothing worked. Finally, my dad took her to the emergency room, where a Dr. Atchley extracted it but kept asking her questions and asked her to make an appointment with him. He diagnosed her true problem. She had Hodgkin’s Disease and had most likely had it for many years. Like my brother’s heart, Hodgkins is curable today but fatal in the 60s.
My mother loved Hollywood and movies and Hollywood gossip and it turned out the Dr. Atchley that discovered her Hodgkins was the father of John Ashley (married to actress Deborah Walley). John was famous for The A Team and some 60s beach movies. So this thrilled my mother. Due to her love of movies, Merry Beth and I saw Peyton Place and Valley of the Dolls and many movies that were deemed not appropriate.
From 1962 to 1969 when she died, there was much pain and suffering, chemo and shingles and trips to the hospital. Many weeks of my senior year, I left class early to take her to chemo treatments. And with all these tragic events in my parents 22 years of marriage, my memories are of happy and good times. She loved Christmas and invited all the family every year for Christmas Eve. She left Tulsa only twice that I recall, once on vacation to Colorado and once to Hot Springs, Arkansas. She treasured those trips the same as if she had gone to Paris or Hollywood. She had dear friends, Marie McComas, Nellie Ashmore and Helen Wert who stepped up to care for her and our family. She was much like George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life, blessed with dearest of friends that helped her and us through it all. ‘…no man (woman) is a failure who has friends.’ —Donna ‘Cathy’ Gibbons Reedy
Shirley Lois Lemke
Shirley, probably about 1943
Shirley, standing, front row right. Her mother and father behind her.
Shirley and Cathy on Cathy's first birthday, Feb. 1949
My dad, Harlee Gibbons, Shirley and baby Merry Beth, circa 1956
Shirley Lemke Gibbons and Cathy
Falls Creek, 1962
Back row: Shirley Gibbons, 3rd from right, Ronnie Bowmaster, right end. Front row: r to l: Dixie Odom Maxwell, Daleen Bowmaster, ?, Connie…
Falls Creek Baptist Assembly and my Mom
Not even sure which summer this was but certainly the early 60s. My mother was ill and had finally been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease and had good days and very bad days but when she felt good, she crammed in as much as she could. Whatever summer that was, I planned to go to Falls Creek for the 5-day camp that attracted teens from all over Oklahoma and some from Texas and Kansas. It was a spiritual high for many and lots of fun and teenage antics for all. Our small church was having a hard time getting enough adult sponsors and were afraid the whole trip would have to be cancelled for our youth. Finally, my mother stepped up. She, of all people had no business going. But she couldn't stand to see it cancelled. Our church was too small to own their own cabin at Falls Creek so we rented Tulsa Immanuel Baptist's cabin. My mother didn't know but the church staff and other camp sponsors had taken all the campers aside and given them strict orders to 'behave' and no shenanigans because Shirley (my mom) was kind enough to come with us and no monkey-business would be tolerated.
After the first or second day, Shirley was dismayed. The campers were so quiet and well-behaved and not just during the day but even at night when normally there would be normal camp pranks going on. Finally, she realized what must have happened and during the evening church service when campers were gone, she toilet-papered the boys bunks, shaving-creamed the mirrors, etc. Of course, the boys thought the girls did it and soon things were like a normal camp week.
After the first or second day, Shirley was dismayed. The campers were so quiet and well-behaved and not just during the day but even at night when normally there would be normal camp pranks going on. Finally, she realized what must have happened and during the evening church service when campers were gone, she toilet-papered the boys bunks, shaving-creamed the mirrors, etc. Of course, the boys thought the girls did it and soon things were like a normal camp week.
Merry Beth, Shirley and Cathy, August 19, 1968, Mom's 39th birthday. Tulsa, Oklahoma. She died on June 13, 1969.