Shirley Bryant went to her Heavenly reward on May 6, 2019 at the age of 82 at her home in South Coffeyville, Oklahoma surrounded by her loved ones.
Shirley Jean Downing was born March 24, 1937 to Alfred and Selma Opal (Dill) Downing in South Coffeyville. She attended school in South Coffeyville before marrying her sweetheart, Billy Dean Bryant, on October 17, 1951. They were married for 63 years and had 4 children, Deborah, Patti, Sherri, and Rick. They lived in South Coffeyville all their life.
Shirley loved working in her garden and took pride in her irises, holly hocks, and tiger lilies. She enjoyed sewing and made homemade clothes for her children. Her daughters still remember the dresses she sewed for their school dances and the flannel nightgowns they received every year for Christmas. She was a Sunday school teacher and youth leader at Emmanuel Chapel Pentecostal Holiness Church in South Coffeyville. She worked for several years at Bones Café in South Coffeyville and the Jolly Kids Garment Factory in Coffeyville, KS, but spent most of her life as a stay-at-home mom and grandma. Being "Gran" was her favorite job of all - she hosted family holidays and events and was usually surrounded by grandkids and great-grandkids, even in her final days.
She is survived by two children, Deborah Lee and husband, Robert, of South Coffeyville; Sherri Morgan and husband, Adrian, of Tyro, KS; one brother, William "Bill" Brown from Huntington Beach, California; 10 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and 4 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Bryant; two children, Patti Lynn Bryant and Rick Bryant; and three brothers, Roscoe "Rocky" Brown, Dwayne Downing, and Charles "Chuck" Downing.
Shirley's celebration of life will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel in Coffeyville, KS. Burial will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation (closed casket) will be Wednesday, May 8 from 6 to 7:30 at Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel. The family request memorial contributions be made payable to the South Coffeyville Volunteer Fire Department, contributions may be sent in care of Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel, 2405 Woodland Ave, Coffeyville, KS 67337. To leave a message of condolence visit www.fordwulfbrunschapel.com
