Nola M. Willoughby's Obituary
Nola Mae Willoughby went home to her Lord and Savior on July 13, 2018. She was 103 years 7 months and 16 days old.Nola was born Friday, November 27, 1914 to Bertha Mae Strain and Walter Thomas (Walt) Mills in a small farm house in rural Thayer, Missouri. She was the oldest of five children. All of the children worked on the farm until they married or went into the military during World War II.Nola attended school in a one room schoolhouse in rural Thayer and was allowed to attend the 8th grade twice. Her teacher begged Walt to allow her to come to town and live with her so that she could attend high school. Walt would not allow it due to the fact that girls just didn’t need that kind of education.Nola met and married Thomas O. Fields and they were blessed with one child, Dorothy Lovella Fields on Friday, April 13, 1934. Tom and Nola divorced when Dorothy was 20. Tom, Nola, and Dorothy lived all across the southern United States where Nola and Dorothy finally landed and made a home in Carrollton, Texas.Carrollton-Farmers Branch was her home until 1996 when she moved to Bartlett to be closer to her daughter and son-in law who retired in Bartlett to be closer to her only great grandchildren at the time. Nola was active in the First United Methodist Church of Bartlett until she was unable to climb the stairs for fear of falling (she also was afraid of getting trapped in the elevator).Nola was preceded in death by her parents Walt and Bertha Mills, Husband Leonard Eugene Willoughby (Gene), Brothers Ralph Mills, Frank Mills, Glenn Mills, and a sister Hazel Baker. She also buried her only daughter Dorothy Graff and her son in law (she called him her son) John M. Graff. The last two deaths hit her hard and she never spiritually recovered from this, often stating that a mother should not have to bury her children.Nola leaves behind her granddaughters Johnna and Husband Mark Rister of Bartlett and LaDena and husband David Drake of Burleson. She also has 4 great grandchildren that meant the world to her;b Samantha Krage and fiancé Rudy Yamada, Robert “Chuck” Rister and fiancée Erin Fulk, John Drake and Isaiah Drake as well as Sisters in Law Ailene Mills of West Plains, Missouri and Diana Mills of Arnold, Missouri. She also has numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends left behind. She never met an enemy and has friends and family that love her more than can be imagined and this is a blessing.Nola’s celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 9:30 in the morning with the family receiving friends beginning at 8:30 am. Both will be held at Restland Memorial Park in the Abbey Chapel. Please stop by the information booth at the main entrance for directions. Burial will follow at Restland Memorial Park in the Garden of the Last Supper. David Drake, Isaiah Drake, John Drake, Chuck Rister, and Mark Rister will serve as pallbearers.In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the First United Methodist Church of Bartlett to the School Supply Fund P.O. Box 44, Bartlett, TX 76511 or the Bartlett Volunteer Fire Department P.O. Box 676 Bartlett, TX 76511.
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