Zetta Louise Sheehan of Edmond, OK, age 87, formerly of Elk City, OK, and Santa Clarita, CA, passed gracefully from this life to the next on December 9, 2011. She was born on February 3, 1924, near Hammon, Oklahoma, to Leonard Taylor and LouRette Morrow Taylor, the third of five children. Her family survived the Hammon flood of 1934 by floating through the night on mattresses in the bedroom as the Washita River rushed through their two-room home. Zetta married Warren Hayden Sheehan in 1940 in Lubbock, TX, and they moved to California, spending the next 50 years of their lives there. Zetta was a wonderful wife and mother to their three children—Linda, Terry and Patrick. Her energy, spunk, and creativity were well known and appreciated throughout her large extended family; she blessed so many throughout the years with her love, care, and Christian example. They returned to Elk City, Oklahoma, in 1991. Hayden passed away in 2004 after a lengthy decline with Alzheimers. Since October 2010, Zetta has truly enjoyed being part of the fasmily of residents at Tealridge Retirement Community in Edmond, making new friends and participating in many events. She became a Christian at age 15 and most recently has attended the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Edmond through their Tealridge Sunday worship service.
Zetta was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 63 years Hayden, one brother Duane Taylor, two sisters Zelma Davis and June Lemmons, and her son-in-law Ray Farrar. She is survived by a brother, Richard Neal Taylor and his wife Mabel of Florence, AL; brother-in-law Doug Sheehan and sister-in-law Noel Atkins, both of CA; daughter Linda Farrar of Elk City; son Terry Sheehan of Elk City; and son Patrick Sheehan and his wife Lynda of Edmond. Also surviving her are two grandsons, Brendon and Ryan Sheehan and their mother Kathy of Santa Rosa, CA, five granddaughters—Kristin Brown and husband Kasey of Burns Flat, OK; Katie Farrar and Brian Bell of Burns Flat, OK; Haylee Weedn and husband Phillip of Spiro, OK; and Kayla Sheehan of Edmond. She has been blessed with five great-grandchildren: Morgan Brown, Jackie Bell, Madison Brown, Olivia Weedn, and Griffin Switzer. Numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives, and many friends also mourn her passing.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 17, at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond, with burial at 3 p.m. at Red Hill Cemetery south of Hammon, OK.
Because of Mom’s years of care for Dad with Alzheimers, she had a special empathy for Alzheimers patients and caregivers. If you would like to donate in Zetta’s memory, see www.alz.org.
Daily Elk Citian, Elk City, OK 14DEC2011