Shelby Jean Ewens (Towsley)

Shelby Jean Ewens, the oldest child of Elmer and Irene Towsley was born June 6, 1939 in Harper, MO. She passed away September 19, 2022 at the age of 83. Shelby grew up in Kansas City, MO and graduated from Northeast High School. Upon graduation, she attended cosmetology school.

On September 7, 1958 Shelby married her high school sweetheart, Robert (Bob) Ewens. They were blessed to be the parents of Robin and Roshell. Shelby had a love for the Girl Scouts. She was a Girl Scout herself, and she was a counselor at Girl Scout camps many summers. She spent many years being a Girl Scout Leader for Robin and Roshell’s scout troops.

Shelby worked as a hairdresser for 15 years in Kansas City. When Bob returned to the ministry, and they moved north of Kansas City, she worked for the Shelter Workshop where her daughter Roshell was employed. Shelby led a crew of special needs adults maintaining rest areas in Northeast Missouri.

Being a Methodist minister’s wife, Shelby quickly learned they would be packing and moving every five to seven years as Methodist ministers are reappointed and moved often. Their next move took them to Sedalia, Missouri where Shelby worked as a group home supervisor several days a week. She and Bob loved to support and chaperone the Special Olympics activities of which their daughter Roshell was a participant.

Shelby would see four more moves to Noel, Jasper, Golden City, and Chillicothe, MO before Bob’s retirement. They bought their retirement home in Lathrop, MO where they enjoyed spending time visiting their daughter Robin and attending their grandchildren John and Mary’s school and sporting events.

Shelby loved to travel especially in the Spring to see the Dogwoods in bloom and the Fall to see the beautiful colors of the trees. She quilted with the different United Methodist Women’s groups across the west side of Missouri. She loved to tat, grow flowers, and take rode trips with Bob. As Shelby and Bob’s health declined, they found it necessary to move to a care facility and closer to family in Butler, MO.

Shelby was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bob, both her daughters Robin Gilbert and Roshell Ewens, and one sister, Sharon Dibben. She is survived by her two grandchildren John Gilbert (Whitney) of Nevada, MO; Mary Hale (Wyatt) of Butler, MO; two sisters Sandy Perusich of Independence, MO; Sylvia Eldridge of Butler, MO; one brother Stanley Towsley (Cindy) of Sedalia, MO; two great-granddaughters Emilia Gilbert and Aurora Hale, and many nieces and nephews.