Electa Vesta Pearl (Pape) Fish, resident of Owasso, went to be with her Savior after an extended illness at the home of her daughter, Helen E. DeClue on Monday, May 9, 2016 at the age of 90 years and 9 months. Electa was born August 10, 1925 in Zalma, Missouri to William A. and Rhoda (Sitze) Pape. She was raised and received her education mostly in Zalma and Cape Girardeau, MO, graduating from Cape Central High School in 1942. Electa received her Master’s degree in Education from S.E Missouri State University where she was president of Phi Beta Kappa. She was a life-long school teacher in Missouri, beginning her career in a one-room schoolhouse at the age of 18 and retiring in 1985 after teaching 7th grade science for 19 years at Louis J. Shultz in Cape Girardeau. On June 8, 1946, Electa and Earl Fish, Jr were united in marriage in Cape Girardeau. They were blessed with three children. Electa and Earl moved to Owasso to live with their daughter in 2009. Earl passed away in February of 2012. Electa was a longtime member of the Zalma Missionary Baptist Church and attended First Baptist Church of Owasso while living there, making many friends. She loved Cardinal baseball, Thunder basketball, putting jigsaw puzzles together, working crossword puzzles, and birdwatching, but especially reading her Bible and talking about her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Those that survive and hold many cherished memories are her children and their spouses – Dale G. Fish (Judy) of Zalma, MO, Helen E. DeClue (Michael) of Owasso and Jon E. Fish (Tracey) of Cape Girardeau, MO. Also surviving are her grandchildren – Susan (Greg) Penninger (Austin, TX), Timothy Fish (Fort Worth, Tx), Andrew (Chrissy) DeClue (Little Rock,AR), Benjamin (Jessica) DeClue (Reston,VA), Erin (Nick) Nill (Owasso, OK), Kristal (Chad) Flentge (Cape Girardeau, MO), Jake Fish (Cape Girardeau, MO), Caitlin and Nathan Gladden (Cape Girardeau, MO) and great grandchildren Joshua, Adam & Luke Penninger and Isaac Joseph, Miriam, and Titus Flentge and a large host of nieces, nephews and friends. Electa also got amazing joy from her foster great grandchildren – Ava, Issac and Daniel. Besides her husband, Electa was preceded in death by her parents, brother Dale Pape and sisters Juanita Schrader, Willamina Pape and Hilda Bowerman.
Visitation will be at the Morgan Funeral Home in Advance, Missouri on Friday, May 20th from 5-8:30PM with memorial services there on Saturday, May 21 at 10 AM followed by burial in Berrong Cemetery at Gipsy, MO. Arrangements and services were entrusted to the Mowery Funeral Service of Owasso. www.moweryfs.com
