Dionie Ester Tolman

With her family by her side, our beloved Dionie Ester (Bates) Tolman went to her place of heavenly rest on January 30, 2021. Dionie was born February 2, 1950 on Clark Air Force base in The Philippine Islands, to parents Earnest Monroe Bates and Clotilde “Teddy” Gonzales. She grew up in Houston, TX, and graduated from Aldine High School in 1968.

On October 13, 1968, she married Randy Tolman; they recently celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary.

Following marriage, Dionie moved with Randy to North Carolina where they served in the United States Marine Corps. Dionie was a young bride and a soon-to- be young mother. Pregnant with her first child while her husband was away in Vietnam, she returned to her family home of Houston to give birth to a daughter and wait for Randy’s return. Once out of the military Dionie and Randy remained in Houston, and in 1974 welcomed a son.

Dionie, who had given her heart to Jesus at the age of 9, was invited to attend a church in her neighborhood, and in July of 1979 Dionie joined The Church of God of Prophecy.

Dionie loved to teach. She earned her teaching certificate in 1980 and would spend the rest of her life teaching people about Jesus and His love. In 1982 Dionie moved with her family to Cleveland, TX where Randy had accepted his first pastoral appointment. In 1987 she moved with her family to Austin, TX where Randy accepted another pastoral appointment. In Austin she began working for Texas School for the Deaf as a teacher's aide. Dionie loved learning sign language and showing compassion to the children she worked with over the years. Dionie’s love of her church and commitment to Jesus would take her to San Antonio to teach, back to Houston to open a Christian school, and finally back to Warda to serve alongside Randy as the manager of Camp Lost Pines, a Church of God of Prophecy camp. Dionie will always be remembered as a servant of Christ, living daily with a grateful heart and joyous smile even when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2009. Her battle with cancer was long and full of difficulties arising from the cancer, but her faith remained strong, her smile remained brilliant, and her heart full of love.

Dionie is preceded in death by her mother, Clotilde G. Bates, and her father, Earnest Monroe Bates, as well as her brother Robert "Bob" Wayne Bates. She is survived by her husband, Randy of Warda, TX; daughter and son-in-law Denise and Tony Haverda of Austin, son and daughter-in-law Jeffery and Pacifikka Tolman of Baytown,TX; grandchildren, Corey and Ji Haverda, Haley Haverda, Carson Haverda, Callie Haverda, and Micah Tolman; one sister, Dorothy Bates of Conroe, and four brothers, Roy (Amy) Bates of Crosby, James (Terri) Bates of Cy-Fair, Steve (Joann) Bates of Spicewood, and Bill Bates of Houston; and numerous nieces and nephews.

We would like to thank the staff at Hospice Brazos Valley. All have provided excellent care and great compassion for Dionie.

Celebration of life service will be held Monday, February 8, 2021, at American Heritage Funeral Home. Visitation begins at 10 am followed by a memorial service at 11:30 am. Dionie will be interred at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Hospice Brazos Valley https://www.hospicebrazosvalley.org/ or Metastatic Breast Cancer Research on behalf of Dionie Tolman.

**To help slow the spread of COVID-19 there will not be a reception following todays service**