Rosalie “Ma” June (Jones) Garner, 88, of Red Oak, Oklahoma, went to be with her Lord Jesus on May 28, 2026. She was a woman overflowing with love. The things she loved most were her husband, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, traveling, sports, church family, her Bible, and her Savior Jesus. Her love will live on through her family and friends.

Rosalie was born in Billings, Oklahoma on February 13, 1938 to Homer and Dora Jones. She was the older sister to Mary and John Jones. She lived on a farm in Mulhall until the death of her father, when she moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma. She graduated from Stillwater High School in 1956 and attended Oklahoma State University. She heard about Ronald Garner from friends months before she met him. When she eventually met him, they immediately hit it off. On their first date, Ron ran out of gas and they had to walk back to campus. But Rosey was unfazed and the two quickly fell in love. They were married on June 14, 1958 and moved to Red Oak, Oklahoma where they had three children: Rebecca, Roger, and Ronda.

Rosey graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 1967 with her degree in Elementary Education. She began her career as an educator at the Lone Prairie Headstart, but Rosey knew her real purpose was to love and empower her students. As Ron’s job took the family to new locations, Rosey faithfully taught and encouraged elementary children in Iola, Kansas and around Oklahoma in El Reno, Maple community, and Red Oak. Ron bragged that Rosey was a master at teaching students how to read and that she had an unwavering love for her young students. When asked what she did when she was rushed by students who wanted hugs, Rosey responded, “I hug ‘em back.”

Ron became a Dean at Conners State College in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Rosey worked at the college library where she was the assistant librarian until she retired in 1997. When Ron became the President of Conners, Rosey took on the role as host. Together they hosted hundreds of students in their home and each one got to enjoy Rosey’s homemade cookies. She baked thousands of cookies over the years and became known as “the cookie lady.” But the cookies were only the symbol of what students actually got from times spent at the president’s house. College students who were far from their families got the comfort of a loving home and the listening ear of a couple who wanted to know them and support them.

Rosey was always going somewhere. Her love for travel is seen around her home where she proudly displays items that she collected from the 26 countries that she visited across four continents. Ron and Rosey had a deal that Rosey could go anywhere in the world that she wanted if Ron could go to the pasture. But Ron was always there to greet Rosey when she returned. Rosey’s travel friends were often jealous when Ron would pick up Rosey at the airport with a bouquet of roses.

In 2000, Ron and Rosey moved back to the family ranch in Red Oak, Oklahoma. Rosey was a faithful and caring volunteer for Red Oak First Baptist Church. She began the Baptist Breakfast Club and modeled servant leadership for kids in the church as she partnered with them to deliver breakfast to the housebound community. Through the years, Rosey served as the church treasurer, took care of babies in the nursery, listened to memory verses at the Wednesday night children’s program, and directed VBS where she counted thousands of pennies and nickels for the kids’ VBS fundraising competition. She loved her Sunday school class, The Prayer Warriors, and organized countless trips for the ladies to enjoy together. The Sunday school class became so active that the church finally bought a van to transport them on their adventures. Rosey also loved volunteering at the Red Oak library and was proudly named the Oldest Member of the Red Oak gym where she worked out three times a week.

Rosey was an avid softball and baseball fan. She would keep a handwritten schedule that included OSU women’s softball, the Kansas City Royals, and LA Dodger games. She kept score on all the games and knew all the players like they were her own grandkids.

Rosey was known to many as “Ma.” She was an involved grandmother and great-grandmother. Every Christmas for many years, Ma made pajamas for her grandkids and sent a newsletter to family and friends to keep everyone up-to-date on important events and milestones. She was a strong and consistent presence for her family and a true matriarch. Her Spaulding spaghetti and no-bake cookies were a favorite. And, every year without fail, Ma would send family members a custom-made birthday card that she would print at home. She profoundly loved her family and frequently hosted gatherings at the Garner family ranch, which became a haven for the entire family.

But Rosey’s most important, and favorite, role was being Ron’s wife. Rosey and Ron had an affectionate love for each other that is a testimony of God’s design for marriage. They supported one another’s dreams and goals, they stood together through good times and bad, and they were kind to each other. Their love story is a legacy that their friends and family cherish. There’s no question that Ron loved Rosey and that Rosey loved Ron.

Rosalie is survived by her husband, Ronald Garner; her siblings, Mary Bowden and John Jones; her sister-in-law Teresa, her three children and their spouses, Rebecca and Randy Adams, Roger and Vivian Garner, Ronda and Page Cole; her beloved grandchildren and their spouses Michael and Jennifer Garner, Ronald Adams, Erin Cole, Sara and Jason Pyle, Lauren and Soji Adesanwo, Nathan and Katherine Cole, Amelia and Scott Mason, and Benjamin and Jessica Cole; and her many great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, and the hundreds of children who she loved and invested in at church and around the state of Oklahoma. She was preceded in death by her brothers-in-law, Bill Garner and George Bowden; her parents, Homer and Dora Jones; and her stepfather Tom Cowan.

Services for Rosey will be at Red Oak First Baptist Church on Tuesday, June 2, at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Red Oak library or the Red Oak cemetery by sending your donations to PO Box 511, Red Oak, OK 74563.

Waldrop Funeral Home