Louise Mae Shelley (several knew her as Lois), 87 of Cabool, MO passed away March 20, 2025 at Kabul Nursing Home. She was born Dec. 29, 1937 in Summersville, MO the daughter of Henry Robert and Elva Cora {Brewington} Stark.
Louise married Jesse Ray Cole on Sept. 19, 1958 and had three children; Jeff, Randy and Raetta. Several years later Louise wed Ronnie E. Shelley on Aug 14, 1973 and had two more sons; Ronnie and Dow.
Louise was a hard worker, throughout the years she worked at many places including the Cabool Chicken Plant, as a Nurse’s aide at the Kabul Nursing Home, as a home healthcare aide and ended her over 60 year working career cleaning offices at Intercounty Electric.
She loved watching her kids and grandkids play sports of any kind and she was a voracious reader, reading anything she could find from the Texas County Library, online or books she found at her favorite pastime of attending yard sales.
During her years as a single parent to three small children, their home burned to the ground but Lois somehow managed to rebuild a new house at the same location. This was an amazing accomplishment for a single woman in the 70’s, for which she was extremely proud. She maintained that home until she was able to give it to her son Ronnie to raise his family, keeping the legacy of the home alive for her future generations. Advice she shared with all her children was to give the effort of an hour and a half for every hour you’re paid in any job you do.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents; three sisters, Jewell DeWitt, Marie McCartney and Judy Smith; both husbands; three sons, Randy Cole, Jeff Cole, Dow Shelley and a granddaughter, Nannette Cole. She is survived by siblings, Gary (Patty) Stark, Russell (Edith) Stark, Robert (Enola) Stark and Brenda {Stark} Page; two children, Raetta {Cole} & Mike Kirkman, Ronnie (Emily) Shelley, as well as Jeff’s surviving spouse, Marrie {Story} Cole along with five step-daughters, Tammy (Kenneth) Frame, Becky Shelley, Lisa (Roger) Wake, Pam (Joe) Shane, and Rhonda Shelley; 14 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and a host of family and friends. She will be dearly missed by all those who knew and loved her.
A life lived by the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments
