Amos Jack DeShields

Funeral services for Amos Jack DeShields will be Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 2:00 PM at the Butner School Gymnasium in Cromwell. Interment will follow at the Little Cemetery. Amos Jack DeShields, 84, was born southwest of Okemah and graduated from Bearden High School. He passed away peacefully at home on his Rainbow Hills Ranch near Cromwell October 2, 2012. Jack worked for Oklahoma Natural Gas before moving to Borger, Texas, where he was employed six years by Southwestern Public Service as a chemist and instrument technician. Jack was also an entrepreneur who ran his cattle ranch. He was the owner and operator of DeShields Building Stone LLC and DeShields Energy LLC. He was very involved in the community and supported the local firemen by donating the land for the Cromwell Fire Station. He provided a building to support Head Start, Cromwell Neighborhood Watch, Senior Citizens and gospel singing and classes. Further services were for the FFA, the Cromwell Baptist Church and school team sports as well as chairman for Bill Tilghman Day. In 1955 the DeShields moved to Oklahoma City to start a trucking business. For 18 years, Jack worked as a service technician and later service manager for the Norman and Shawnee Sears stores. For 65 years he was married to Elizabeth Peggy (Bowen) DeShields. Peggy is a retired school teacher, counselor and assistant principal in Oklahoma and Texas public schools. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Brice DeShields and Ida Fay (Harrison) DeShields; three brothers, J.T., Hubert and Alford DeShields and one sister, Lucille DeShields Brown. He is survived by his wife Peggy DeShields of the home; one son, Dennis Jack DeShields and wife Janice of Pea Ridge, Arkansas; one daughter, Sheila deShields and husband David Ian Hildreth of San Jose, California; four grandsons, Dennis Alan DeShields and wife Misti Autumn Froan DeShields; Jared Matthew DeShields and wife April Webb Deshields, Ian Andrew DeShields Hildreth and Taylor Bryn DeShields Hildreth. He is also survived by four cherished great-grandchildren, Liz, Matthew, Jordan and Aidan and a host of nieces and nephews and great friends. Serving as active pallbearers will be grandsons and great-grandchildren: Ian Andrew DeShields Hildreth, Taylor Bryn DeShields Hildreth, Dennis Alan DeShields, Jared Matthew DeShields, Elizabeth “Liz” DeShields, Matthew DeShields, Jordan DeShields, Aidan DeShields and David Ian Hildreth. Honorary bearers and descendents include Delbert Brown, Leon Collins, Jim Webb, James Whisnant, Joe Brown, Jeff Brown, Greg Brown, Danny Bowen, Linda Bowen White, Ladena Bowen, Archie Floyd Bowen, Maetta Bowen Roadruck, David Bowen, Nick Bowen, Sam Bowen, Mark Bowen, Hazel Carpenter Bowen, Nelda Gilley Bowen, Margie Veazy Bowen, Jerry and Judy King, Michelle Richardson, Jason Green, Misty Thornton Roadruck and Crystal Roadruck. Services will be under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Home, Okemah, with Rev. Derryl DeShields officiating and Bro. Manuel Kishketon and Rev. Terry Jones assisting. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the First Baptist Church of Cromwell, Resurrection Life Church, or Jack and Peggy DeShields Ministries through BancFirst in Okemah.

Amos Jack DeShields

November 5, 1927 - October 2, 2012