Joe David Slawson, 67, was born on May 20th, 1956 in Ringling, Oklahoma to Melburn Slawson and Elizabeth Jones Slawson. He was delivered by the doctor and his grandmother, Kate “Ma” Jones. He passed away Tuesday, August 8, 2023 in Rush Springs, OK.
 Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at Vimy Ridge Baptist Church. Burial will be in the Ringling Cemetery under the direction of Callaway-Smith-Cobb Funeral Home in Marlow, Oklahoma.
 Joe He attended Rush Springs Schools and graduated from Rush Springs High School in 1974.
 He spent the first 21 years of his career as a meter tech at Mobil working alongside his father. He then went on to serve as a police officer for the Rush Springs Police Department for 7 years, a member of the Rush Springs City Council for 2 years, a deputy sheriff for the Grady County Sheriff’s Department for 6 years, and then finally retired after working as a bench jeweler for 4 years at Walmart Jewelry Repair.
 In 1985, he married Mary Ellen Gibson to whom he remained married until her death in 2021.
 In his free time, Joe enjoyed making country music. He wrote countless country songs as well as stories and poems. In 2012, he opened the Redskin Theater, a music theater in Rush Springs where he scouted talent and put together country music shows every other Saturday for three years. He was a member of the Marlow Gunfighters for around 20 years and thoroughly enjoyed participating in shootout performances portraying Boone Marlow, one fifth of the infamous Marlow Brothers and a true outlaw from Marlow, Oklahoma. He would often bring his grandson Ethan along to participate and dubbed him “Kid Rowdy.”
 Joe was a member of Vimy Ridge Baptist Church most of his life where he taught an adult Sunday school class, of which he was very proud.
 Joe was preceded in death by his father Melburn Slawson, mother Elizabeth Jones Slawson, brother Robert Slawson, and wife Mary Slawson.
 He is survived by brother Jerry Slawson of Cyril, son and daughter in law Joseph and Catrina Slawson of Rush Springs, son and daughter in law Shawn and Jennifer Slawson of Rush Springs, son and daughter in law Travis and Chelsea Slawson of Rush Springs, daughter and son in law Amanda and Chantry Scott of Bradley, 13 grandchildren and a great granddaughter.
 “I am riding my spirit horse to see my loved ones. Life is temporary, death is permanent” -Joe Slawson
 Online condolences may be made to www.callawaysmithcobb.com