Voncille Shipley

October 21, 1927 - July 30, 2017

Wanda Voncille Shipley, age 89, was born on October 21, 1927, near Healdton, Oklahoma to James Wesley Emberling and Emerine (Stewart) Emberling. She was raised in Healdton, graduating valedictorian from Healdton High School in 1945. She moved to Ardmore to work for Oklahoma Natural Gas Co. where she met Larry Longino. Voncille worked for several years as office assistant for Gordon Edwards Insurance until she formed her own bookkeeping service. She continued her business after Larry died in 1972. On May 17, 1974, she married William John Shipley, who managed the Pauls Valley location of Carey Lumber Company. In 1976 they purchased that location renaming it Shipley Lumber Company. They closed the lumberyard in 1990 and raised and sold Limousine bulls for several years. Beginning in the fifth grade, Voncille dreamed of writing fiction. Her busy life postponed that dream until age 69 when she sold several articles based on her hobby of researching genealogy. But she really wanted to write stories, so she spent three years writing her first attempt, a series of historical family novels set in Oklahoma’s early statehood. She published her first book when she was 75 years old. In all, she had five books published. She changed the setting of the last three to contemporary mysteries. After her baptism as a teenager, Voncille lived the rest of her life as a Christian. She and john devoted themselves to the Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Larry Longino, and her two brothers, Garvin and Glynn. Mrs. Shipley is survived by her husband: John Shipley; nephews: Gary Emberling of Texas; three nieces, Diana Canary (JC) of Tuttle, Christy Hay and Marie Sweetland (Rusty) of Ardmore. Funeral services are scheduled for Wednesday, August 2, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. in the Wooster Funeral Home Chapel with Paul Melton officiating. Interment will be in the Mt. Olivet Cemetery under the direction of Wooster Funeral Home. You may send a condolence to the family at www.woosterfuneralhomes.com.