Obituary for Lila McColgan

Lila Evalyn McColgan, resident of Ponca City, Oklahoma since 1949, met her Lord and Savior Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at Ponca City Medical Center. She was 85.

The funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, November 21, 2014 at the Northeast Baptist Church with Pastor Larry Nigh officiating. Burial will then follow at the Resthaven Memorial Park in Ponca City, OK. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home & Crematory.

Lila was born on April 2, 1929 to Cloyce Price Holland and Claudia (Neeley) Holland in her grandmother’s home near El Dorado, OK. She was the 3rd of 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. She always said she had seen everything from the Great Depression, Dust Bowl, Pearl Harbor, WWII to 9/11. She spoke of putting sheets up over the windows during the dust storms to keep the dust out. The family was rich in love only, having no electricity, running water or indoor plumbing. They grew up poor, but she didn’t know they were poor as they had enough food to eat because they raised most of it themselves. She worked on the farm and actually picked cotton to earn the money to pay for her own tonsillectomy and buy school clothes. The family lived various places as her father was a Baptist minister and farmer. She graduated high school from Pond Creek High School in 1947 and attended Oklahoma Baptist University until she was married. Lila was married to Charles Eugene "Gene" McColgan on December 24, 1948 in Freedom, OK in the church parsonage with her father as the officiant. Lila had several careers during her life including cashiering at the old Safeway on 14th Street, Gibsons, Howards, Commercial Credit, and Titus Manufacturing. She retired from the cleaning crew at Conoco in 1985. She made many life-long friends during her working years in the community and was known as a kind and gracious lady.

Lila was a faithful member of Northeast Baptist Church, having previously worshiped at Second Baptist and Ranch Drive Baptist. Lila taught Sunday School, worked in the nursery, baked cookies for Vacation Bible School, sewed costumes for church programs and did anything that was asked of her. She served her Lord by serving others. After retirement, she volunteered at the Caboose and The Literacy Council, tutoring students and serving on the Board consecutively since 1994. Lila had a very kind and generous spirit and donated to numerous charities.

Lila was an avid sports fan and loved to watch her two favorite teams, her beloved Thunder and of course, the OSU Cowboys. She was selected by the Wish of a Lifetime foundation to see a Thunder game in person which was to take place this December.

She is survived by one son; Charlie McColgan and wife Cathy of West Granby CT; daughters; Vickie Dailey and husband Randy of Ponca City, OK; Dona Calvert and husband Jerry of Edmond, OK; and Judy McColgan of Oklahoma City, OK; her grandchildren; Amy (Dailey) Neufeld and husband Jerry; Holly Dailey-Roe and husband Shane; Wesley Calvert, Daniel Calvert, Joanna (Dailey) Smith and husband Shanon, Adam Dailey and wife Mandi; John Havens-McColgan and wife Kendra; and Valerie Wissinger and husband Scooter. Her granddaughters lovingly ministered and attended to her even after her death. She has 11 great grandchildren with one on the way, 2 great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews who she loved dearly and who dearly loved her.

She is preceded in death by her husband Gene in 1993, her parents, brothers Kenneth Holland and Leland Holland and sister, Lucile Nabors.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons; Wesley Calvert, Daniel Calvert, Adam Dailey, Shane Roe, Scooter Wissinger, and Jerry Neufeld and great grandson Austin Neufeld.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or the Ponca City Literacy Council, 515 E. Grand Ave., Ponca City, OK 74601.

Source: Trout Funeral Home