Lona Mae Pauls

Lona Mae Wiggins McCollum Pauls was born in Kiowa, Kan., on Dec. 23, 1919, to Loyd Clinton Wiggins and Adeline Marie Williams Wiggins. She was the second of four children. Her older brother was George and her younger sister was Billie and they had a little brother Jack. The family moved a lot, and Lona spent her childhood in many towns in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. During high school in Helena, Okla., she met Paul McCollum. They attended Oklahoma A and M (now Oklahoma State University) together, and were married in Stillwater in April 1940. Lona and Paul lived in Stillwater, where he became a professor in the college of electrical engineering, until his death in 1977. They had three children, Phil, Linda and Betty. Shortly after Paul's death, Lona moved to Loveland, Colo., to live with her son Phil's family. In 1990, Lona met and married Al N. Pauls. They made their home in Fresno, Calif., until his death on Easter Sunday 2006. After Al's death, Lona moved to Rogers, Ark., to be near her daughter Betty's family. She was a resident at Jamestown Nursing & Rehab for the last three-and-a-half years. Lona was baptized into the Lord's church in Stillwater, Okla., around 1956. She was active in the Stillwater congregation teaching classes and other things. She was especially good at helping with any kind of craft activities. She was a very good cook and used that talent also to serve others thereby serving her Lord. She became a member of the local congregations wherever she lived after that. She loved the Southside Church of Christ in Rogers, Ark. They would pick her up with their van so she was able to attend services clear up to the last few weeks of her life. Lona enjoyed many things during her life. She especially liked traveling, reading, cooking, knitting and crafts of many kinds. She made beautiful things. Family and friends found their life enriched by receiving many of these things as gifts. Lona's language of love was definitely "gifts." She was a very giving person. In her later years, she enjoyed sitting by her window watching birds come to the feeders placed there by her daughter, Betty. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, two brothers, two husbands, sons-in-law and many good friends. She is survived by her children, Phil McCollum (Dortha) of Loveland, Colo., Linda Parker (late husband Bob) of Greenville, S.C., and Betty Whittington (Mitch) of Bella Vista, Ark.; nine grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. She had three stepchildren, several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren. Lona was 94 years old when she suffered a series of strokes. She passed out of this life on Sept. 7, 2014. She will be greatly missed. Graveside services will be held in Stillwater, Okla., at a later date. Arrangements by Epting Funeral Home of Bella Vista. Condolences: www.eptingfuneralhome.webs.com.