Myrtle Mae McCallister

Myrtle Mae's life adventure began on December 7th, 1936 in Manila Arkansas, where she was born to Peter and Myrtle Roberts. As a small child, she and her family moved west to Arizona, the Valley of the Sun, where she learned to love the sunshine. Her days were filled with happy times, which became poignant memories later in her life. She often reflected on her school days, close childhood friends, sporting events (she was quite the athlete) picking cotton, and laughter with her ornery brothers and sisters. Coming from a large family, with big meals shared around the table, Myrtle learned to sew and cook. She developed a real talent for both. She had two sewing machines in her home, and her German Chocolate Cake, Mexican Fruit Cake, and Banana Pudding were legendary.
Myrtle and her family moved to Oklahoma in the mid 1970s, where they experienced green grass and the occasional Oklahoma snows for the first time. As they settled into the Bartlesville community, Myrtle became very involved in her church and made many lifetime friends as a result. She was soon seen as a gem in the congregation. She had a quiet spirit, a quick wit, a giving heart, and a shy smile. Myrtle's faith was the anchor that held through many challenges in her life. Her love for Jesus was her testimony. She was a student of the Bible and loved nothing more than discussion over a particular scripture or promise in the Word.
Myrtle retired from the healthcare field at the age of 79. The last seven years of her life were fun years. She went camping, learned to build a campfire, even getting the hang of cooking over an open fire. She loved puzzles, playing dominos, cooking, watching Wheel of Fortune, and even kicking around the occasional soccer ball. She was young at heart, that's for sure. Myrtle was always quick to laugh, treating others to her beautiful smile. In fact, she was proud of her teeth, and was famous for saying "only floss the teeth you want to keep".
Myrtle was the mother of six children. She is survived by three daughters, Jennifer Howell Jackson, Kathy Howell McIntosh, Maggie Howell Boyer and one son, Donn McCallister. She lost two of her sons along the way, William (Billy) Howell and Michael Howell. She leaves behind 50 grandchildren and great grandchildren in addition to two sisters, Helen DeFoor and Ruthie Helton and one brother-in-law, Dennis Helton.
Myrtle left us on Sunday, August 20th, 2023. She was the light in the darkness, the salt of the Earth, and she will be missed.