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Obituary Listings

Wynona Elkins

February 11, 1922 March 8, 2015
Wynona Elkins
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Obituary for Wynona Elkins
Greer Funeral Home

ELKINS

Wynona Elkins, wife of well-known Methodist minister, Brodace Elkins, died March 8, 2015. Wynona began her life in the lovely little town of Mangum, Oklahoma, and life ended for her in another little town, Lytle, Texas. Her intervening years were spent with many wonderful experiences and much happiness. Wynona, born in 1922, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Houpe, a pioneer couple of southwest Oklahoma. In 1939 she graduated, along with her future husband, from Mangum High School. She graduated summa cum laude from Southwestern State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma and taught high school English, Speech, and Drama in Texas, Oklahoma, and Illinois.

In 1945 she and Brodace Elkins married and moved to Illinois where he was a student in Chicago Theological Seminary of the University of Chicago preparing for the ministry. They served the United Church of Chebanse, Illinois, and the following Methodist churches in their home state of Oklahoma: Cheyenne, Carnegie, Hollis, Trinity-Tulsa and First Church of Bartlesville.

In 1963 she moved with her family to El Paso, Texas, where her husband was appointed as pastor of Trinity Methodist Church, later to be known as Trinity-First when the two downtown churches united in 1979. Their interesting life on the border lasted nineteen years until Dr. Elkins was named Superintendent of the Albuquerque District, and another interesting chapter of their lives began. They retired in 1988 and returned to El Paso and their many friends. In 2003 their family and a new home beckoned, and they moved to Lytle, Texas.

Wynona and Brodace have a loving family that includes a son, Howard, and his wife, Nancy, and their children, Jessica and Matthew of Lytle and a daughter, Nonette and her late husband, James O"Donnell, of Galveston. Their daughter, Ann Nonette, was killed in a car accident in the line of duty with the University of Houston Police Department in 2010. Jim died in 2012. Wynona and Brodace"s youngest child, Nancy Wy, died from a brain tumor in 1990.

Wynona was pre-deceased by a sister, Blanche and her husband, Perk Myers, and a brother, Floyd and Daphne Houpe and their sons, John and Jim. Surviving are a nephew, Ron and Lucretia Myers, two great nieces, Heather Bonds and Natika Peterson and their families, a cousin, Henry and Margie Lippard, and a niece, Carol Jean Scivally, all of Mangum, OK.

Wynona always had a great love and appreciation for the members of the churches they served. She considered her life as a minister"s wife a privileged one (and her many talents made possible a complementary partnership in the ministry of all the churches served.) She will be remembered for the many outstanding book reviews and programs she presented to church and civic groups. Each year for twenty years many in El Paso looked forward to the dramatic Christmas story she presented to begin the advent season for Trinity-First Church.

She was a member of the Woman"s Club of the El Paso and President of the Book Club of the Woman"s Club. She was President of Planned Parenthood of El Paso. She was always active in the United Methodist Women and other organizations of the church. She enjoyed entertaining many church groups in their home. She and Dr. Elkins enjoyed traveling, and they visited many parts of the world. In her retirement years, she worked tirelessly to expand the remarkable Heritage Center of Trinity-First Church to preserve and display the rich history of both churches which began in 1882 and 1886, respectively. The Center was named for Wynona and Brodace. In recent years, she cherished her relationship with the members of the Wesley Fellowship class of First Methodist Church in Lytle, a class she helped organize.

Wynona"s death ended a beautiful marriage of almost 70 years to Rev. Elkins.

A combined funeral and memorial graveside service for Brodace and Wynona Elkins will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at Riverside Cemetery in Mangum, Oklahoma. Services are under the direction of Greer Funeral Home, of Mangum.

Online tributes may be made to the family at www.GreerFuneral.com

05/30/2017
10:00 AM

Graveside
Riverside Cemetery

Mangum
OK
73554
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