Patsy “Pat” Stanbrough died Tuesday, May 15. Funeral services are planned for 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 19, in the Hampton-Vaughan Chapel with Rev. John Dillard officiating.

Mary Stacks died Monday, May 7, 2012 and her funeral services are scheduled at FUMC this Thursday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m. Mary volunteered in the church office and was known for her quiet demeanor. To read the full obituary, click this link to go to the article in the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

Funeral services for Virginia Bowersock are set for 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, in the church sanctuary. Click here to read the obituary record published in the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

George Pricer, long time member of FUMC and the Keystone Sunday School class passed away today. Services are planned for 10:00 a.m. Thursday in Perkins Chapel preceeded by family visitation at the church beginning at 9:00 a.m. Mr. Pricer is predeceased by his wife, Charlsie and daughter, Kay. He is survived by his daughter, Karol Cargill of Spring, Texas.

Edward L. True passed away March 12, 2012. Memorial services were held Saturday, March 17. Click this link to read the full obituary.

Lola Defer, who joined FUMC on August 29, 1999, peacefully passed away at home February 14, 2012 after a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer disease.

Visitation will be:

• Thursday, February 16, 2012
• 6:00-7:00pm at Lunn’s Colonial Funeral Home

Services will be held at:

• Lunn’s Colonial Funeral Home
• Friday, February 17, 2012
• 10:00am
• With Chaplain Darrell Highsmith officiating.
• Interment at Crestview Memorial Cemetery will follow the service.

Born in Plymouth County, Iowa September 15, 1920 to Edna and Carl Winterowd, she was the youngest of their four children. She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter Jermaine Russell, sisters Bernice Vannoy and Beatrice Knudsen and a brother, Kenneth Winterowd. She was a member of First United Methodist Church.

After retiring from Stanley Home Products, as a branch sales manager and moving to Wichita Falls in 1969 Lola joined Southwestern Life Insurance Company and later opened her own brokerage firm. She was an excellent motivational speaker and won numerous sales awards.

She is survived by her loving husband Pete, a daughter Jerene Russell, granddaughter Robin Bookter and husband Ray, granddaughter Jill Hawkins and great-grandson William Hawkins.

Lola dearly loved life and all the people she met. She enjoyed cooking and gardening and was the ultimate hobbyist who handcrafted many award winning quilts and needlepoint pieces. When the Alzheimer’s stole her ability for craft work, she and husband Pete traveled extensively.

Travel proved to be good therapy for her. They took numerous cruises and would often fly to her favorite destinations of New Orleans and Cozumel Island.

She was a star high school basketball player and a huge Dallas Mavericks fan. Her real passion, however, was fishing and she caught and released many large marlin and sailfish. The largest of which was a 300 plus pound blue marlin.

In the last few years the Alzheimer’s clouded her memories and dimmed her sweet smile but she remained a pleasant loving person until the very end. Robert Frost, the poet, once remarked that he could define the universe in three words. Life goes on. And it will, but it will be a much lonelier place without Lola.

Memorials can be made to:

Hospice of Wichita Falls
4909 Johnson Road
Wichita Falls, TX  76310

or

the Alzheimer Association.

Please, keep the Defer family in your prayers, and feel free to leave a note below about what Lola meant to you!