Bessie Spencer

Seminole resident, Bessie Spencer, passed away Sunday, November 5, 2023 in Shawnee.

Bessie, the daughter of Buddy and Alice (Miller) Little, was born December 5, 1930, in Seminole County. She grew up in the Little Community and attended the local Indian Mission School. On January 25, 1950, she married James Spencer. Rev Spencer passed away on March 24, 1994. Bessie worked for many years as a bilingual teacher’s aide. After leaving education, she worked for the Creek Nation as a community health representative. She was a member of the UMW (United Methodist Women) and Vculvlke Emeteluktv (Gather of Elders). Bessie enjoyed sewing and playing the piano, and she was an avid fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder. She loved everybody, whether they were a member of her family or not. She would do anything for her family and friends. If you visited Bessie, you would never leave hungry; she would feed you, even when you insisted you weren’t hungry. She loved her grandkids, great-grandkids, and all her nieces and nephews, greatnieces, and great-nephews. Bessie was faithful to her church family and prayed for everyone.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; daughters, Cheryl Sewell and Brenda Smith; sisters, Clara Davis and Imogene Harjo; and brothers, Mitchell Little, Terry Little, and infant brother, Bobby Little.

Bessie is survived by her sisters, Juanita Wise, of Seminole, and Thomasine Davis, of Seminole; grandchildren, Caressa Fox and her husband Travis, Heather Cobb and her husband Richard, Brandon Ponkilla, James Sewell, Brian Harjo, Shane Harjo, and Tia Harjo; g reat- g randch i l d ren, Grace Fox, Rylan Fox, Hannah Heikes, Peyton Heikes, Gavin Sewell, Nila Harjo, Landon Harjo, Ayo Harjo, and Hvcce Harjo; and many other family and friends.

A wake service will be Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. at Hitchitee Church.

Services will be Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 1:00 P.M. at Hitchitee Church in Little, with Thomas Little and Mike Svitak officiating. Interment will follow at Little Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole.