Barbara Sheets of Braman, Oklahoma died Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at home, at the age of 93. Barbara Lee (Stewart) Sheets was born on Tuesday, December 27, 1927 in Blackwell, Oklahoma to Vern Cornelius Stewart and Alice (Heap) Stewart. As the second oldest of six children, she enjoyed helping take care of her sisters and brothers, and working as an aid at Blackwell Hospital. She graduated from Braman High School in 1946. Barbara’s marriage to Richard Ray Sheets took place on Monday, July 21, 1947 in the Christian Church in Wellington, Kansas, Gerald Miller officiating, after Richard’s discharge from the United States Army on January 16, 1946 from overseas duty where he served with distinction during World War II.

Barbara was pivotal in helping to build Dick Sheets Custom Combines harvesting business. As a young wife and mother starting out in rural Tonkawa, OK, Barbara helped the business run smoothly by driving to town for parts, helping Dick move combines and wheat trucks to new fields and delivering homemade meals to the crew in the fields.

In 1968, Barbara and Richard moved to their second career, growing wheat, soybeans and others crops on a farm north of Braman, OK, where they lived and farmed for over fifty years. They also continued their custom harvesting business for more than forty years, every year starting in June in Oklahoma and continuing to cut wheat and other crops in Kansas, South Dakota and North Dakota through October.

In June, 1957, Barbara and Richard took all five children, ranging from ages nine to two, for the first time on the long summer harvest run. In September Barbara drove the children in a station wagon on the over 900- mile trip from North Dakota back to Oklahoma so they could attend school. This continued for 16 years until 1973 when all her children had graduated high school.

Barbara was a constant inspiration to her family with her industrious personality. She was the perfect example of a dedicated wife and mother, caring for her family and cooking many meals for the summer harvest crew of several men plus her five children in a galley-sized kitchen inside the family trailer. Barbara’s Thanksgiving and Christmas meals were a masterpiece in her hands. Her homemade chicken and noodles and pie crusts, and generously filled serving bowls and platters made the many smiling faces around her table look like a Norman Rockwell painting.

Barbara will be remembered as a dedicated, loyal, loving wife and mother. A natural caretaker throughout her life, she was committed to keeping her family together and safe.

Her interests included enjoying her children’s and grandchildren’s events, trying new recipes and spices, playing cards, taking flash pictures, maintaining the family picture albums, collecting mementos, watching the TV show ‘Murder, She Wrote’, and her membership in the Braman Variety Fun Club. The couple enjoyed traveling, including a trip to Hawaii and a number of cruises.

Barbara is survived by her husband of 73 years, Richard Sheets (97) of Braman, OK (who died 8 days after Barbara, on Thursday, July 8th, 2021); all five children; three sons, Larry Ray Sheets, and wife Ann, of Blackwell, OK, their d a u g h t e r s , Julie and Lesley; Jimmie LaVern Sheets, and wife Deanna, of Blackwell, OK, their children, Rebecca, Laura, and Jimmie Ray; Donald Lee Sheets, and wife Frances, of Blackwell, OK, their children, Dana and Darin; two daughters, Brenda Kay Adams, of Ponca City, OK, her children, David and Jennifer; and Deborah Ann (Evans) and husband Paul Brown, of Ponca City, OK, her daughter Kimberly McCall; sister-in-law, Martha Ann Stewart of Pea Ridge AR; her cousin Ernestine Kahle of Tulsa, OK; Pamela Yeargan and many other nieces, nephews and cousins.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Vern and Alice Stewart; all of her siblings; Ivan Stewart; Joann (Stewart) Pennington, Robert Stewart; Ronald Stewart; and Carol Sue (Stewart) Cheney; Grandson, Thomas Stewart Evans; Aunt and Uncle, Bernice (Stewart) Brown and Oscar Brown; and Aunt Gladys and Ed Quade.

Graveyard services were held on Friday, July 2, 2021 at Braman Cemetery. Casket bearers were Grandchildren, Julie Robinette, of Derby, KS, Lesley Easley, of Blackwell, OK, Becki Klinger (Bryan), of Ponca City, OK, Laurie Cannon, of Blackwell, OK, Jimmie Ray Sheets, of Ponca City, OK, Dana Sheets, of Blackwell, OK, Darin Sheets, of Tonkawa, OK, David Adams, of Clinton, OK, Jennifer Block of Frisco, TX, and Kimberly McCall, of Ponca City, OK.

Honorary casket bearers were Great-Grandchildren, Conner Robinette, Fletcher Robinette sons of Julie and John; Hunter Easley, daughter of Lesley; Jacob Cannon, Raegon Cannon, Rachel Cannon, Reese Cannon children of Laurie and Tom; Jackson Sheets, Carly Sheets, Grant Sheets children of Jimmie Ray and Sybil; Ema Adams, Zachary Adams, Ana Adams, Ela Adams, ‘baby girl’ Adams due in October children of David and Eve; Tristan Block, Kaylin Block children of Jennifer and Derek; Madison McCall, Kourtney McCall daughters of Kimberly and Mattee.

The family is especially grateful to, and warmly thanks, the staff of kind caregivers Stacy, Darian, Jennifer and Tina for their constant, attentive, and gentle care of Barbara; Ponca City Humanity Hospice staff for their excellent support and loving care; and Roberts and Son Funeral Home for making the arrangements.

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