Cleta Dowelene Abrams

Cleta Dowelene Abrams, 69, of Weleetka, Okla., entered Eternity at 10:12 p.m. on Monday evening, May 14, 2018 surrounded by her immediate family after a brief battle with a very aggressive type of lung cancer.
She was born Nov. 19, 1948 in Ada, Okla. to Freeland Crocket and Jimmie Jean (Boren) Stanford. Dowelene attended the public schools and graduated from Weleetka High School with the class of 1967. She furthered her education by attending Seminole College and graduated with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Development.
After completing her high school education, she joined the U.S. Navy where she served her country faithfully in Guam and Spain as a Cryptologic Technician. She received an honorable discharge from active duty in December of 1977.
On Jan. 20, 1977, she married her best friend and fellow sailor, Richard Abrams while both were stationed in Spain. Together, they shared 41 years and four months of marriage. Before retiring, she had spent the last nine years of her career as the center supervisor for the Muskogee (Creek) Nation Child Development Center. After retiring, she was most noted for sporting her spikey, pink hair as the result of a cardiac incident and a double by pass.
She was preceded in death by her parents Freeland C. and Jimmie J. Stanford; and her brother, Doyle Stanford.
Dowelene’s survivors include, her husband Richard of the home; daughter, Shannara Mayo and her husband Matthew of Catoosa, OK; two nieces, Edith Flanagan of Weleetka and Carla DeLaughter of Tulsa and two very close cousins from childhood, Jimmy Lane and his wife Debbie of Del City, OK and Kenny Lane and his wife Patti of Bethany, OK; other family members, friends and professional contacts made over her 30-year career in Early Childhood Development.
Cremation services are under the direction of Cornerstone Funeral Home and Crematory, Muskogee, Okla. A celebration of her life will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 2, at Christ’s Community Church, 810 Creek Street, Weleetka, Okla.
Condolences may be made to the family online at www.cornerstoneofmuskogee.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made at www.gofundme.com or to the American Cancer Society.