Dena Lauren Kelley-Ryker, 53 of Fort Gibson, passed away Saturday, March 1, 2014 after an 18 month battle with cancer. Dena was born August 8, 1960 to A J Kelley and Shirley Elaine (Sullivan) Kelley in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She grew up and attended Muskogee Public Schools and graduated from Muskogee High School in 1978.

On February 27, 1984, Dena gave birth to her only son, Jesse Wade Tindall. In January of 1988, Dena began her career as an Administrative Assistant at the Muskogee Office for Oklahoma Department of Veteran's Affairs. Dena worked there until her retirement in April of 1999.

On July 9, 2002, Dena married her soul mate, Jeff Ray Ryker in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dena and Jeff embarked on a journey after their retirement vowing to live in other places that most people just vacation or visit. Since that time, they lived in Mazatlan, Mexico; Tucson, Arizona; Rockport, Texas; with extended stays in Alaska and Guatemala and multiple short trips abroad.

Dena was preceded in death by her husband, Jeff in August of 2013 and her father, A J Kelley in February of 1994. Dena and Jeff vowed they would meet again and travel the stars together.  They have now embarked on that journey.

She is survived by her son, Jesse Wade Tindall of Muskogee; two granddaughters, Lorelei Grace Tindall and Rayna Lynn Tindall, both of Muskogee; her mother, Shirley Elaine Kilgore and her husband Robert of Muskogee; her brother, A. Carl Kelley and sister-in-law Carrie of Fort Gibson; her nieces, Heather Ezell and husband Kevin of Park Hill, OK,  and Fallon Nicole Kelley and husband Brandon Wilson of Fort Gibson, OK; her nephews, Jason Carl Kelley and wife Ginger of Muskogee, Adam Jordan Kelley and fiancé Annie Felts of Fort Gibson; her five great nephews and one great niece and other family members and friends.

For those wishing to donate to cancer research, in lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Darryl Worley Foundation, 935 Wayne Rd, Savannah, TN, 38372 or online at www.darrylworleyfoundation.org.

Funeral services will be 12 p.m. Friday, March 7, 2014 at New Hope Baptist Church, 1501 North 43rd Street East, Muskogee, OK with Reverend Tom Shelton officiating. Interment will follow in Fort Gibson at Fort Gibson National Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Duke Boyd, Jay Stephens and John Compelube, Tony Cook, Dale Hamilton and Craig Morgan. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Paul Hobbs, Regina Compelube and Ginger McCall.

Funeral services are under the direction of Cornerstone Funeral Home, 1830 North York Street, Muskogee, OK. Condolences may be made to the family online at www.cornerstoneofmuskogee.com.