A talented musician who played with the Ozarks Ramblers Funeral services for Reverend Larry Dale Shipley, 68, West Plains, will be at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, February 1, 2009 at the First Congregational Methodist Church, West Plains, under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.
Rev. Shipley died 1:16 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 at Ozarks Medical Center.
He was born Feb. 1, 1940, near Gainesville, Mo., to Theodore Roosevelt and Mildred Ada Phillips Shipley. On April 22, 1960, he was married at the Bond Ridge Assembly of God Church to Beulah Fern Moss. Rev. Shipley had worked for the West Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Company for about 30 years and was an ordained minister, having pastored the First Congregational Methodist Church, Smith Chapel Church and the Davis Creek Congregational Methodist Church.
He was a songwriter, having written hundreds of songs and poems, and had several songs recorded. Rev. Shipley was a talented musician having played with several bands including the Ozarks Ramblers in the 1950s, with his father, the Shipley family and the Southern Grass. He had a regular show on KSHE, Unity Broadcasting Network on Monday evening.
He is survived by his wife, Beulah Shipley, of the family home; three children, Ted Ray Shipley and wife Teresa, Marsha Lynn Olmsted, and Scotty Dale Shipley, all of West Plains; five grandchildren, Nicholas Joseph Shipley, Lauren Lannette Shipley, Audriaunna Elizabeth Olmsted-Coursen and husband Andrew Paul, Shauni Analycia Olmsted and Emilee Kaitlin Barker; his mother, Mildred Shipley, West Plains; two brothers, Jim Shipley and wife, Polly, and Tom Shipley and wife, Phyllis; one sister, Deloris Barlow and husband Ron; two sisters-in-law, Betty Walker and husband, Gene, and Faye Judd and husband, Bill; several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.
His grandparents, father, father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ray and Dorothy Moss, preceded him in death.
Rev. Shipley loved the Lord and his family; he was a best friend to many and will be greatly missed.
Visitation was from 6 until 8 p.m. Saturday at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home. Burial was at Howell Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Gideons International and left at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.
