ELLEN ELIZABETH ORTNER

Ellen Elizabeth Ortner, known to most of her friends and family as Shirl Ortner or Aunt Shirl, passed away peacefully at her home in Bartlesville on June 15 at 10:15pm at the age of 100 years and 17 days. Services and interment are under the direction of Stumpff Funeral home in Bartlesville and will be held on Thursday, June 22 at 10:00 a.m. Shirl was a native Oklahoman, born on May 29, 1917 in Braman, OK to Perry and Luella Purdum - - the third child of 8. In 1920, Shirl’s family moved to a small farm on the southwest edge of Dewey, and she attended Dewey School. She remembered walking from home to attend church at First Christian Church in Dewey (about a 1 ½ mile walk). At age 15 she moved to California to help take care of her maternal grandmother and graduated high school there. Shirl attended college in Kansas, then moved to Texas fora short time during WWII. After the war, Shirl moved back to California. She worked as an administrative assistant for General Dynamics and retired as a loan officer for Pomona Bank. In 1966, Shirl married Gene Ortner of Pomona, CA and remained in the Pomona area until the early 90’s when they moved back to Oklahoma to be closer to their families. She and Gene divorced in the late 90’s, and Shirl made residence in her final home in Bartlesville until her death. She is preceded in death by her parents, her 5 brothers and a sister -- Jess Purdum of Ponca City, Les Purdum of Dewey, Marion Purdum of Copan, Eva Hixson of Bartlesville, Robert Purdum of Lawton, and Cal Purdum of Dewey. She is survived by her youngest sibling, Ruby Kathleen Smith of Stillwater and numerous nieces and nephews. Shirl was a great artist, who loved to oil paint and was a member of the Bartlesville Artists Association. In 2003, they selected her to be Artist of the Month. Shirl was a naturally happy person and was known for her great sense of humor. She had a genuine interest in the person sitting and talking with her. Her nickname “Shirl” came from her love of Shirley Temple. You can still smile with her when you see her epitaph, which reads “Return to Sender” in Memorial Park Cemetery in Bartlesville, OK.

ELLEN ELIZABETH ORTNER

May 29, 1917 - June 15, 2017