Funeral service for Imogene Bayless were held on Monday, July 29, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at the Sevier Funeral Home Chapel in Chickasha, OK.

Imogene Bayless was born on April 1, 1926 in Tabler, OK to William Rufus Shelton and Maude Irene (Kimbrell) Shelton. Imogene passed away at her home on July 23, 2024 in Chickasha, OK, at the age of 98. 

Imogene was born in Tabler, OK. She went to Harris and Hawkins schools until the age of 12. Her family moved to Oakland, CA in 1938. Her Poppa worked at a soap factory and her Mom worked at the Del Monte Cannery. She wanted to play basketball but only got to play one day. The nurse made her go to bed during the one hour of basketball (which was an opportunity to wear shorts) because she was too thin and had to drink a carton of milk. They returned to Oklahoma in December of 1942 where her father was a sharecropper and mother was a homemaker.

Imogene has been a member of the 9th and Colorado Church of Christ since she was 16 years old. She was baptized in Rodeo, CA. Imogene had a beautiful voice and loved to sing church hymns. She and her sister Delois were asked to sing at numerous funerals in their early years.

Imogene met Ross Bayless when they were in High School in Dibble, OK. They were married on May 16, 1949 in Wichita Falls, TX. Together they had four amazing children, Rhonda, Les, Donna and Craig.

Imogene ran all over Oklahoma City running errands for the Pool Hall that she owned with her husband Ross. She kept up with all the bookwork for the Pool Hall. She was very talented. She recovered chairs, pool/snooker tables, as well as, kept the domino tables in usable condition. She also drew the short end of the stick at times and had to clean it as well. Imogene was the handyman around the house and the Pool Hall. She was a carpenter, a wonderful seamstress, barber/beautician, and plumber. You name it, she did it.

She loved working in the yard and had beautiful flower beds. That’s what grieved her the most as she declined; she couldn’t see or work in her flower beds. She was an awesome cook and had the best Mac & Cheese and yeast rolls around! She made those rolls even at the age of 97. She enjoyed going to garage sales and finding dolls. She only had one doll as a child and would buy dolls and fix them up. She drove all over Oklahoma City and Norman taking Chester and relatives to their Doctor’s appointments or just running errands.

It was surprising to some when they would come over to Imogene’s house. Her radio was usually on 105.5 listening to Bruce McGrew and the pop/rock station. She really enjoyed playing solitaire on the computer, but that joy ended earlier this year when her vision got even worse.

Imogene loved her family fiercely. She stated more than once she did not want to leave her kids.

She is preceded in death by her husband, John Ross Bayless; her parents, William Rufus Shelton and Maude Irene (Kimbrell) Shelton; brothers: Jessy James Shelton, Wilmer G. Shelton, Burl Shelton, and Willis Ray “Sonny” Shelton; sisters: Sylva Shelton Rogers and Delois Shelton.

Imogene is survived by her children: daughter, Rhonda and Robert Lyle of Yukon, OK, son, Les and Kandi Bayless of Chickasha, OK, daughter, Donna Bayless and Dee Britt of Oklahoma City, OK, son Craig Bayless of Chickasha, OK; her sister Saundra and Billy Fields of Elk City, OK; her grand dog Missy; grandchildren: Shelby and Val Bayless of San Diego, CA, Kristin and David Kayne of Chickasha, OK, Megan Shoemake, of Chickasha, OK, and Cody and Tobi Merit of Chickasha, OK; great-grandchildren: Colt Holland, River, Andrew, & Max Kayne; Ben Ross Bayless & Sara Bayless; Lexi Jo, Harli, Knox, & Sadie Shoemake; Reagan, McKinley, and Monroe Merit.

The family would like to recognize and thank Crossroads Hospice for the exceptional care they gave Mom during her last 23 days (Stephanie, Nikki, Lorri)

They were also blessed to have Dee Britt on this journey with them. Her P.T. knowledge and help was invaluable to them. She loved Imogene and Imogene loved her.