Theda Gay (Snow) Massey, 83, of Muskogee, OK went to her eternal Savior on Sunday, September 29th, at the Fort Gibson Nursing Home in Oklahoma. She was born January 28, 1930 in Walnut Ridge to Harry Lee and Sylvania Jane Bellah Snow. She was married to Billy Massey for 64 years; he continues to reside at the nursing home in Fort Gibson. They had three sons together. Theda and Bill began their lives together in 1949 in Walnut Ridge and moved to Moline, IL shortly after, to find a new life away from their humble farming beginnings. A child of the depression, Theda knew the value of hard work and education, sometimes having to hitchhike in order to get herself to school. She got her education and more. She wanted a better life for herself and her children and made sacrifices along the way to get there. Theda lived a life of culture and travel seeing the world and making new friends wherever she went. Whether it was bridge club, Bible study, or Golf, she made friends easily; she treated everyone with dignity and value. Those qualities helped her achieve responsible positions both professionally and with civic organizations. She was a Florida Regent with the Daughters of the American Revolution after completing the extensive research required to gain acceptance. This research led her to write a book titled, "The Bellah Family." Theda worked her entire career at Modern Woodman Life Insurance in Rock Island, IL and was Administrative Assistant to the Corporate Investment Manager at the time of her retirement in 1987. She did live the life she dreamed of as a child and was very generous to everyone along the way. She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her.

Theda was preceded in death by her parents; son, Roger Massey; grandson, Eric Massey; and brothers, Gene and Howard Snow.

Survivors include her sons, Mike (Evalyn) Massey of Muskogee, OK and David (Emily) Massey of Excelsior Springs MO; sisters, Joyce Anderson and Linda Brooks of St. Louis, MO and Sharon Barnett of Lenexa, KS; grandchildren, Erin (Ron) Peterson, Randa (Mike) Johnson, Lance (Wendy) Dixon, Josh (Sherry) Massey, Melanie (Jason) Scott, Jennifer (David) Rogers, Julie Linden; great-grandchildren, Ryan Johnson, Abby Johnson, Kennedy Dixon, Logan Dixon, Olivia Scott,
Amaira Peterson, and Jaden Peterson.

Visitation will be held Friday, October 4th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Taylor-Cox Funeral Home in Pocahontas under the direction of Cox-Fears Funeral Home of Walnut Ridge. Funeral services will be 10:00 am Saturday, October 5th, at Taylor-Cox Funeral Home in Pocahontas under the direction of Cox-Fears Funeral Home of Walnut Ridge with Jack Kemper officiating. Burial will follow at Snow Family Cemetery in Walnut Ridge.

Serving as pallbearers are Roger Leese, John Snow, Justin Carter, Ronald Massey, Josh Massey, and Lance Dixon.