Obituary for Luella Pierce

Luella Pierce

August 24, 1931 – April 30, 2021

Luella Pierce, age 89, of Ponca City passed from her earthly life into the presence of her Lord on April 30, 2021, at Via Christi Village, Ponca City, Oklahoma. Her funeral service will be held on Friday, May 7, 2021, at 10 a.m., at the First Lutheran Church, Ponca City, with Pastor Mark Mozeik officiating. Burial will be at Cedar Cemetery, Fairview, Oklahoma, at approximately 1 p.m., the same afternoon. Viewing will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, May 6, 2021, at Trout Funeral Home, 505 West Grand, Ponca City. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be live-streamed. The broadcast can be accessed by visiting www.troutfuneralhome.com and selecting the live stream link in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, starting at 9:45 a.m.

Luella Unruh was born on August 24, 1931, at Isabella, Oklahoma, to John and Dora (Nightengale) Unruh. She was welcomed by six brothers Marvin, Jake, Milfred, Alfred, Freddy, and Orville Unruh and was later joined by her only sister Anna Mae Unruh. She attended school in Isabella, Oklahoma.

Luella married Harlan Wedel on August 6, 1950, and together they had four daughters, Elayne, Phyllis, Donna, and Millie. She was a strong, hardworking woman who was also sweet, loving, and kind, and she was a devoted mother to her children. She could chop cotton all day alongside her husband Harlan and then go home and cook a full meal for her family. When her daughters helped in the cotton field and were tired and ready to go home, she always replied, “just one more row.” She was an excellent cook and is well known for her delicious cinnamon rolls and her coconut cream pie. In fact, it’s been said there has been more than one dispute over who was to get that last piece of pie!

Due to Harlan’s failing health, she was often the only source of income for her family and worked selflessly to support them. She was employed as a cook for the Fairview Fellowship Home and the Fairview Schools, and she worked as a short-order cook for Countryman’s Diner in Isabella. One would have to wonder just how many people she fed in her lifetime!

Harlan preceded her in death in July 1981, and she met and married Pete Lieurance in 1983. They enjoyed traveling together during their marriage, but his untimely death in 1985 left her a widow again.

She married Carl Pierce on November 15, 1997, and gained a “step” family who loved her dearly. Carl and Luella spent their summers in Colorado for many years, escaping the hot Oklahoma weather, and while there they made many lifelong friends, with whom they have stayed in contact. She cared for everyone and always tried to please them all. Everyone who knew and loved her will miss her greatly.

Luella was preceded in death by her parents; all her siblings; her husbands, Harlan Wedel and Pete Lieurance; her young daughter, Elayne Wedel; and a step grandson, Shane Miller.

Luella is survived by her husband, Carl Pierce, Ponca City. Also surviving are her daughters, Phyllis Martin (Ray), Clinton, Oklahoma; Donna Smith (Gregg), Enid, Oklahoma; Millie Nickel (John), Ulysses, Kansas; and her step children, Donnie Pierce (Glenda); Marjorie Cassady (Dennis); and Beverly Stolhand (James), all of Ponca City.

Luella’s surviving grandchildren include Jeanna King (Jeff), Clinton, Oklahoma; P. J. Martin (Lindsey), Edmond, Oklahoma; Andy Nickel (Amy), Watauga, Texas; Melissa Riley (Andrew), Kansas City, Missouri; Noel Nickel, Fredricktown, Missouri; and Jessica Smith and Elijah Smith, both of Enid, Oklahoma; along with 7 great grandchildren.

The surviving step grandchildren include Misty Fath, Blackwell, Oklahoma; Tammie Reggio, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Jake Pierce (Fawne), Tonkawa, Oklahoma; Dereck Cassady (Melani), Newkirk, Oklahoma; Kristi Cortez (Rick), Edmond, Oklahoma; and Decky Timothy (Shea), Edmond, Oklahoma; along with 20 great grandchildren and 8 great great grandchildren.

Casket bearers will be P. J. Martin, Andy Nickel, Elijah Smith, Dereck Cassady, Jake Pierce, and Rick Cortez.

Honorary casket bearers will be Ray Martin, Gregg Smith, John Nickel, Donnie Pierce, Dennis Cassady, James Stolhand, Jeff King, and Andrew Riley.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, for breast cancer research, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73123, or First Lutheran Church, 1101 North Fourth Street, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601.

We invite you to leave a message of condolence or expression of sympathy or share a memory of Luella at www.troutfuneralhome.com.

Source: Trout Funeral Home