Shirley Jean

Crank

Shirley Jene (Rew) Crank, 91, passed away peacefully on November 9, 2026 at the family home in Yale, Oklahoma.

Born in August 1935 in Smith County, Texas, Shirley was raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma, by her mother and stepfather, Gladys (Clark/Rew) and J.R. "Shug" Lubbes. She met the love of her life, Joe Crank, in high school, where the two were chosen as basketball Homecoming King and Queen. After Joe's service in the Army, they married in 1954 and built a life together that spanned almost five decades.

Shirley and Joe raised their daughters, Julie and Lori, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, before moving to Coppell, Texas, in the early 1980s. In 2016, Shirley returned to Oklahoma to be closer to family.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Shirley was known for her gentle spirit, unwavering kindness, and the welcoming home she created for those she loved. She enjoyed gardening, traveling, coffee, cats, and her favorite daytime soap operas. Her greatest joy came from being "MeMe" to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom she loved dearly.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joe Crank; her daughter, Julie Layton; and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Sarah (Crank) and Jim Brown.

Shirley is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Lori and Doug Eberhart of Yale; grandchildren Lauren and Jacob Sanders of Sand Springs, Jenny and Ben Creech of Ponca City, Bobby and Gail Ellis of Sand Springs, and Matthew Layton of Cushing; six great-grandchildren, Hailey, Dax, Neil, Davis, Cooper, and Ruston; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Chris and Sondra Crank of Salina, Kansas; nephews Michael Crank, Jason Crank, and Tim Brown; and niece Celia Brown.

Shirley will be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband, Joe, at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, where they will be reunited in eternal rest.

Her family will forever cherish the love, kindness, and countless memories she leaves behind.

Services are pending.