Rosa Lea Skelley

On Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Rosa Lea Greenhaw Skelley was granted her greatest wish when an angel came and took her to be with her Heavenly Father. The fourth child, Rosa Lea was born on May 25, 1916 to William Bazziel Greenhaw and Rosa Belle Lea Greenhaw. Born in Rocky, Oklahoma, she lived all of her life in town or on a farm west of town. Having just graduated from Rocky High School with the graduating class of 1934, Rosa Lea married the love of her life, Hervie Eugene Skelley that graduation night May 17, 1934. Rosa Lea and Hervie were married for 57 years prior to his death in 1991. The very next day Rosa Lea began her lifelong occupation as a homemaker and a farmer's wife who worked and tilled the soil along with her husband. There was nothing she couldn't do or tried to do around the farm with harvest as her favorite time of year. In the years to follow she would become the mother of two sons, Gomer Delno Skelley and Eugene Boyd Skelley and one daughter, Rosetta Diane Skelley. She was baptized and entered into a strong faith with her Lord when she became an active lifelong member in the Rocky United Methodist Church and Sentinel United Methodist Church where she lovingly served in many capacities as well being a member of the WSCS Group. Membership in the Rocky Extension Homemakers extended her deep love for sewing, crocheting, gardening, cooking, canning and quilting. As a member she helped with many club projects including the establishing of the Rocky Park and entering her handiwork in the Washita County Fair. Another passion she enjoyed was painting and she took lessons to learn several medias of the art so that she could paint pictures for all the family. Her love for flowers not only kept the flower beds around her home filled with beautiful blooms of roses and iris but also places throughout the community and at church. Until the age of 93, Rosa Lea remained at her home in Rocky and daily enjoyed the food and fellowship at the Rocky Senior Center. She was an avid domino player teaching everyone to play the games that she enjoyed. She especially enjoyed playing Chicken Foot with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren that she loved dearly. Her love to travel took her many places with her husband and as a companion to Diane. Of all the places she went, her yearly favorite trip was to the Greenhaw Family Reunion which she attended this summer in the Wildlife Refuge. Her biggest dream was the building of the Rocky School Monument which she initiated and now stands witness to her love for her community. Rosa Lea loved sports especially when her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were playing and continued to be a big fan of Sentinel basketball, softball and baseball for many years. Rosa Lea will be greatly missed by her family, her church, her friends and her beloved community of Rocky, Oklahoma.

Rosa Lea was preceded in death by her parents, husband Hervie, sons Gomer and Eugene, in-laws Rollie and Hattie Skelley and Mary Skelley, brothers Ripley and Sterling, sisters Eileen, Velma and Thelma, one nephew, Barry, one niece, Janette, grandson Daniel Eugene Skelley and her beloved dog, Harley.
She is survived by her daughter Rosetta Diane Skelley of Yukon, her daughter-in-laws, Donna Skelley of Elk City and Cynthia Skelley of Burlington, Iowa and her sister, Willetta Greenhaw Cosby of Fall Creek, Oregon. Six grandchildren, William Eugene (Bill) Skelley and Kammie of Rocky, Robin Lea Skelley of Perkins, RaLeah Shaun Priddy and Rodney of Collinsville, Deanna JoAnn Taylor and Evan of Tulsa, Joseph Eugene Skelley and Jennifer and Benjamin Eugene Skelley and Renee all of Burlington, Iowa. Great-grandchildren are Morgan Roberts and Heath of Rocky, Steiger Skelley of Rocky and fiancé Brenn DeLay of DeKalb, Texas, Keenan Priddy and Raiven Miller of Collinsville, Dexter Taylor of Tulsa, Sydney Skelley, Boyd Skelley, Owen Skelley, Stella Skelley and Autumn Skelley all of Burlington, Iowa. She is also survived by a very special loving person in her life, Gary Nason of Rocky. A host of nieces and nephews, Nela, Linda, Rose Marie, John, Barbara, Gloria, George, Eddie, Beth, Marcia, Billy, Belleva, Larry and Cindy as well as a host of friends. Donations in her memory may be sent to the Rocky Senior Center in Rocky, Oklahoma.