Woodward News
March 19, 1996

Rose Etta Ferrell was born on May 6, 1939 at Leedey, Oklahoma to Jack and Dorothy Boyer. She was in the Mercy Health Center of Oklahoma City when she died of pneumonia on March 14, 1996. The pneumonia was a result of chemotherapy treatments she had been taking for a lengthy illness with cancer. She was 56 years, 10 months and 8 days of age.

Rose Etta was a young girl when her mother remarried and she went through her childhood years and grew to maturity in the home of her loving parents, Cecil and Dorothy Yarbrough. Her first home was in Leedey and she attended her first few years of school there. It was in this time period, while she was ten years of age, that she accepted Christ as her personal Savior and became a member of the First Baptist Church of Leedey. Her family moved to Plainview, Texas where she completed her 10th year of school before returning to Leedey where she finished her high school work.

On August 20, 1955, Rose Etta was united in marriage to Addie Duane Ferrell at Plainview, Texas. Eventually, four children, Roxanne, Gwen, Chad and Hoby, would bless this happy union. Rose Etta and Duane established their first home in Leedey. Later, they lived in Borger, Texas but returned to Leedey in 1963 where Duane ran a Grade "A" dairy until 1966. The couple then moved to Weatherford and enrolled at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. There, Duane finished his education in tax accounting while Rose Etta obtained her degree in the field of education and was certified to teach. Their son, Chad, was born to them between Rose Etta's junior and senior year. Duane began doing income tax returns for others in 1968 by working from their home. Duane and Rose Etta's occupations moved them to the towns of Clinton, Sperry, and Talala, Oklahoma before arriving at their present home in Mooreland, Oklahoma seventeen years ago.

Rose Etta and Duane purchased the tax and accounting agency in Mooreland from Russell and Stella Gale who were long-time friends and former Leedey residents. Rose Etta gave up the teaching career that she had followed and enjoyed and entered the new family business as office manger. Duane credits Rose Etta for much of the growth of the R and D Tax Service that they've both enjoyed throught the years of their business partnership. Certainly, Rose Etta's efforts, as well as her personality, contributed much to the business, but no one would deny that both partner's efforts and the love and respect that they held for one another was a major contributing factor to both their business and marital success.

Rose Etta was active in the community affairs of Mooreland and was especially active in the Mooreland Women's Club. But as to interests enjoyed or honors attained, she considered her roles as wife to Duane, mother to Roxanne, Gwen, Chad and Hoby and grandmother to Ryan, Lance, Drew, Lauren, Rachel, Steven and Annaly, her most intense interest and her greatest honor in life.

Rose Etta was preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Dorothy Yarbrough; her brother, Victor Yarbrough and by her father, Jack Boyer. She is survived by her beloved husband, Duane, of the Mooreland home; by her daughters and sons-in-law, Roxanne and Rusty Miller of Yukon, Oklahoma and Gwen and Steve Pierce of Plano, Texas; by her sons, Chad Ferrell and his girlfriend, Suzanne, both of Oklahoma City and Hoby Ferrell and his wife, Margaret who live in Tulsa; by her grandchildren, Lance and Drew Miller, Lauren and Annaly Ferrell and Steven, Rachel and Ryan Pierce; by her two sisters, Cecilia Buster and Jeri Boyer; by her brother, Jack Boyer; by several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives; and by the many friends who she considered as one of the greater treasures of her life. Certainly, Rose Etta was loved by all who truly knew her and her presence will be greatly missed.