Lawrence Reigh Shelite

A memorial service for Lawrence Reigh Shelite will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 26, 2024, at the Town and Country Christian Church with Pastor Neal Gordon officiating. A family visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, October 24th at the Marshall Funeral Home. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Marshall Funeral Home of Alva. Lawrence Reigh Shelite, son of the late Henry Rudolph and Myrtle (Shurts) Shelite, was born September 23, 1936, in Sharon, Kansas, and passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on the morning of October 20, 2024, in Alva, at the age of 88 years and 27 days. The youngest of seven siblings, Lawrence was raised in Sharon where he graduated high school with the Class of 1955. He attended tech school in Wichita after graduation. In 1956 during the steel strike, he enlisted with the US Army in the 540th Combat Engineer Group. He was stationed in Germany, and during that time he enjoyed traveling through Europe on his time off. In 1962 he was honorably discharged at the rank of E4 having received the Medal of Good Conduct. Upon returning to the states he moved to Alva, Oklahoma, where he met Doris May Rader. They were united in marriage on June 18, 1960, in Alva, Oklahoma, and in 1965 they welcomed a daughter, Misti Faye. They made their home in Alva where he worked as Maintenance Foreman at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. On November 25, 1992, he was united in marriage to Frieda Faye Lieswald in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, and he gained a son, Kevin, and daughter, Faye. In 1999 he retired from the college, and the couple enjoyed traveling all over the United States, visiting all but three states. They drove to countless rodeos all over the country. In later years, they attended the Town and Country Christian Church in Alva. Lawrence enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was a general handyman, and he could fix about anything. When he wasn't at work, you could find him helping members of the community with various handyman tasks. He learned to cook from his mom, and he could make one heck of a peach cobbler. Lawrence was known for having a positive attitude and a smile everywhere he went. He loved to tell jokes, he was the King of One-liners, and he even loved to sing. He had a genuine love of life. Besides his parents, he is preceded in death by his siblings, Mary Shedd, Mildred "Millie" Tate, Richard "Rich" Shelite, Robert “Bob” Shelite, Chester “Chet” Shelite, Velma “Vee” Haas, and Everett Shelite. Lawrence is survived by his wife Frieda; his daughters, Misti Knopf and husband, Floyd, of Burlington, and Faye Lilly and husband, Kenneth, of Marlow; his son, Kevin Wilkinson of Elk City; his three grandchildren, Lakin Kastl and husband, Zak, of Yukon, Tom Knopf and wife, Taylor, of Alva, and Jordan Lilly of Austin, TX; two great-grandchildren, Wilsy Faye Kastl and Theo Knopf; other relatives and many friends. Memorial contributions may be made through the funeral home to the Town and Country Christian Church.

Lawrence Reigh Shelite

September 23, 1936 - October 20, 2024