Priscilla Elisabeth Shelby

Memorial Services for Priscilla Anna Maria Elisabeth Gyongyoshalmaji-Szohner Demaree Shelby will be 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 1, 2022, at the Marshall Funeral Home Chapel. Inurnment will be in the Alva Municipal Cemetery under the directon of Marshall Funeral Home of Alva. Priscilla Anna Maria Elisabeth Gyongyoshalmaji-Szohner Demaree Shelby was born in Budapest, Hungary on August 18, 1937 and passed from this life at Alva on November 24, 2022 at the age of 85. After surviving the horrors of war, Priscilla made her way to the United States by ship around the age of 13. Her name is on the Ellis Island wall under the name Priscilla E Szohner. She lived with Dr. and Mrs. Rudolph and family in Davenport, Iowa, as their foster child and also cared for their children. Priscilla met Lowell LeRay Demaree while he was attending Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport. They married and to this marriage they had 5 children Sandra Kim, Dawn Michelle, Cheryl Lynn, Theresa Gay, and Lowell Brian Demaree. They moved to Alva, Oklahoma, shortly after getting married and raised their family. Priscilla was a devoted wife and mother. Priscilla then moved to Arkansas and while there married and divorced Cliff Shelby. Priscilla was involved in the Jaycee Jane's, the Nescatunga Arts Festival, the Republican party and the Bull Shoals Arts and Humanities Council along with many other organizations and volunteer activities in Woods County and in Arkansas. She was well known for her creative talents and taught oil painting and other art media. If you asked her what her favorite color was she would respond, "As an artist, I like all of them." She had a keen eye for interior decorating and also created many beautiful rock gardens. She also enjoyed antiquing or 'junk shopping' as she called it and searching for arrowheads. She was proceeded in death by her parents Dr. Ludwig and Thuranyi Elisabeth Gyongyoshalmaji-Szohner, a brother Maximilian and half sister Veronica, her ex-husband Lowell Demaree, and children Michelle Gordon, Cheryl Demaree and Brian Demaree. She is survived by Sandy Gleyre of Alva, Theresa and her husband Don Blalock of Chester, 12 grandchildren and several great grandchildren, along with her brother Gabriel Szohner/VonUrsus and his family of Vancouver, Canada. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the funeral home for the Nescatunga Art Festival, of which she was very proud of being an original member, or to Beadles Nursing Home for the wonderful care they gave her during her time of need.

Priscilla Elisabeth Shelby

August 18, 1937 - November 24, 2022