Thelma Louise Shields

Thelma (MiMi) Knight Shields, 78, of Eufaula passed away on January 29, 2021 in Tulsa, OK. Thelma was born May 6, 1942 in Shreveport, LA and was the only child of Annie Horton and Ross Knight. She spent much of her childhood in Florien, LA where she was raised by her maternal grandparents, Exa and William Horton. She graduated from Stonewall (LA) High School in 1960, where she was voted Miss Stonewall High, Friendliest, and Most Popular by her senior class. Following graduation, Thelma worked as a telephone operator for South Central Bell. She soon met a handsome young police officer, Neal Gary Shields, and on January 14,1961, Neal and Thelma were married in Shreveport, LA. She spent the next several years raising babies and ironing military fatigues and police uniforms. Thelma later spent several years working in the sheet metal and heating and air conditioning business in Shreveport. In 1979, when Neal retired from the Shreveport Police Department, they returned to his hometown of Eufaula. Thelma enjoyed working in her flowerbeds, reading, and doing genealogy. She was an avid scrapbooker but her favorite thing was being MiMi to Brad and Zach and later to Caden and Emmelyn. Thelma was a member of First Baptist Church in Eufaula. She was a member of the John Jumper #2599 Chapter of the Oklahoma Division United Daughters of the Confederacy, and was a Past President of the Division. She served in several offices at the Chapter and Division level. She was also a member of the Okemah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Survivors include her husband, Neal, of the home; her daughter, Kaye Johnson and husband Donnie of Eufaula, OK; her son, Scott Shields and wife Brenda of McAlester, OK; her grandson Brad Johnson and wife Colby of McMinnville, OR; her grandson Zach Shields of Muskogee, OK; her grandson Lance Weeks of McAlester; her granddaughter Whitney Weeks of Tulsa; her great grandson Caden Johnson of McMinnville, OR; her great granddaughter Emmelyn Johnson of McMinnville, OR. She is also survived by three special little aunts, numerous cousins, two half-sisters, and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Exa and William Horton and her paternal grandparents, John and Katie Waters Knight; her parents Annie Horton Howell and Walter Ross Knight; and her granddaughter Katie Johnson.