Funeral Services for Shirley Ann Sweeten (Whitebead) Buckley, 66, a resident of rural Milburn were held Tuesday, February 12, at the First Indian Baptist Church of Tishomingo, 804 N. Byrd Street. Rev. Kenneth Lewis and Rev. Stephen Wall officiated. Interment was in the Condon Grove Cemetery.

Shirley pass away February 7, 2013, at the Southeastern Medical Center in Durant, OK. She had fought a long battle with congestive heart failure and COPD for the last two months. She had just about won the battle when other complications developed.

She was the daughter of the late Alvin and Myrtle Sweeten. She was born May 5, 1946, in Talihina, OK.

Shirley live the majority of her life in and around Tishomingo, OK. She graduated from Tishomingo High School in 1964. After graduation she went to the Oklahoma State School of Technology in Okmulgee, where she received a diploma in Secretarial and Business. She later went back to college at East Central University in Ada and received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Social Work and a Masters Degree in Human Resource with an emphasis in counseling.

Shirley was deputy court clerk for Johnston County for many years prior to going back to college. After receiving her degree she worked for a short time for the Chickasaw Nation Kulihoma Alcohol and Drug program as an alcohol and drug counselor prior to going to the Indian Action Center in Shawnee, where she helped develop and led a female outpatient drug program. She later returned to Tishomingo and went to work for the Chickasaw Nation Indian Child welfare as a counselor until she became disabled in 1997.

She grew up and was raised in Milburn and Tishomingo most of her life. She married Wilmore WhiteBead in 1966. From this marriage she had on son, Randal Scott WhiteBead.

In 1987 she married Clifford Wayne Buckley. He was a loving and devoted husband. He preceded her in death in 2003. Shortly after losing her jusband she ;moved in with her sister, Linda Cooper (now Lewis) in Milburn.

She is survived by her son, Randal Scott WhiteBead of Milburn; a sister, Linda Lewis of Milburn; her four grand children, Destiny, Brandon, Jessie and Cassie WhiteBead; a niece, Adrienne Dastgir and her husband Ali of Edmond, OK.; a nephew, James Cooper and wife Rachel of Tishomingo; a great-nephew Dakota Cooper; a nephew and Godson, David Lewis of Milburn; and a stepson, Clifford Buckley Jr.

Preceding her in death her parents, Noah Alvin and Myrtle James Sweeten; a brother Geary Wayne Sweeten; her husband, Clifford Wayne Buckley; and her former husband, Wilmore WhiteBead.