Ray Edward Shoemake
(7-15-31 to 4-7-88)

Today my Father would have been 75 years old. He was born on July 15th 1931 in Stillwell Oklahoma near his family’s home in Bowlegs. He was born to Lester Henry (Hap) and Mytra Taylor - Shoemake. His Mother died on Christmas Eve 1938 when he was 7 years old, he told me that he got a pair of shoes and a cap gun that year, with no caps. Because my Grandfather could not work and take care of two boys my Father and his younger brother Frank went to live with their Grandmother in Haskell Oklahoma. When he was 18 he and a cousin drove to Bakersfield California where they picked potatoes for one season and then returned home. He joined the National Guard and went to cooking school at Ft. Sam Houston in Texas, he was called up to active duty in the Army in 1952 and went to Korea where he attained the rank of Buck Sergeant. After Korea and the Army he married my Mother, Ella Rea Katherine Denton on December 28th 1953. He attended college at Conners State College in Warner Oklahoma, while my Mother went to Bacone College in Muskogee. He was going to be an Algebra Teacher but was offered a job installing carpet and at the time it paid more than a school teacher, so for the sake of his family he chose the one with more pay. My older Brother Larry Ray was born in 1954, my sister Mytra Faye was born in 1961, and I Charles Edward was born in 1964, my younger brother Gary Lee was born in 1968. In 1971 we moved from Muskogee to West Covina California and later settled in Upland where in 1972 my youngest Brother James Allen was born.. The whole reason for moving to California was for a better way of life but after 4 years of my Father working up to 7 days a week at times, we moved back to Oklahoma. To skip ahead some, in 1984 we found out my Mother had Leukemia and on April 17th of 1885 she died due to complications. I’m sure a part of my father died that day also. On May 22nd 1988, I got a call at work that something was wrong with my Father and I rushed home. My sister was there and told me that he had come home early from work with a bad headache, his boss was worried about him because he never took off sick, came to check on him and could not get him to answer the door. Apparently he had gone to sleep and fallen into a coma, they took him to the hospital where later he died, he never woke up. The doctors said it was most likely an aneurism but could not tell for sure without an autopsy, we declined to have one because it was of no use. My father was the hardest working man I ever knew, he gave 100% everyday in everything he did, it did not matter if anyone knew the effort he put out or not, he knew. He was an honest man and he loved my Mom dearly. All he ever did was work and take care of his family, if it weren’t for us kids he would have died the same day my Mom did. He was well liked by everyone who met him and he was my friend and hero. If there is any good in me at all is it is because of him. I believe he was around 8 years old in this picture, it was taken about 1939. Dad I love you and Mom, the world has not been near as good of a place without you, I only wish that Emily would have known you both. You would have been proud of her. I hope that you would have been proud of all of us.