Lou Ellen Wilson

Lou Ellen Wilson was born February 2, 1927 at Ft. Towson, OK and died on February 18, 2011 in Yukon of congestive heart failure. She built a successful career as editor of the Cotton Electric Current and head of public relations of Cotton Electric Cooperative for 36 years. She retired in 1989 but continued to work extensively in her community and at her church lending her great writing, promotional and advertising talents to many organizations almost until her death. Lou would tell you that she was born an introvert but that her work in journalism was lots of fun and changed her into an outgoing, "never- met- a- stranger" writer who was filled with life and was always up for an adventure. She could interview a fencepost, as her son-in-law described her. Lou was valedictorian of her senior class at the age of 16. She attended Southeastern State College and graduated with an English degree with an emphasis in journalism. She served as editor of the college paper her junior and senior years and worked at the Durant Democrat. She was a member of the 1947 debate team that made it to the semi-finals of the first national competition at West Point. Lou began her masters in journalism at OU in the fall of 1947. She was hired for a summer internship at the Walters Herald in Walters, OK. She beat the streets of Walters as a young "ad man" proving herself in a male-dominated field, much to the surprise of John Penn, Sr., owner and editor of the Herald. One of her advertising accounts employed a young man named Ray Wilson. He had recently returned to Walters from the Navy, so when Lou often stopped in to get the owner's ad for the week, they became friends. Once Ray got his dream car, a yellow Studebaker convertible, he asked Lou out. They married in June, 1950. For seven years, Lou and Ray enjoyed life as a young couple vacationing across the country. Then, in 1957, their daughter, Cassie, was born. Ray died in November, 1959 of colon cancer. Lou was predeceased by her parents, Pearl "Atty" and Milton May and her brothers, Gene and Ralph. She is survived by her daughter, several cousins, nieces and nephews.