Velma L. Albright

Lonella Albright passed away Thursday, May 12, 2011, three days after a joyous Mother’s Day celebration. A visitation will be held at Eisenhour Northeast Funeral Home on Monday, May 16, 5-8 pm. Services will be held at Dickson Baptist Church in Midwest City, Oklahoma on May 17 at 10:00 am. Rev. Darold Morgan, a long-time seminary friend, will officiate. Burial will follow at Arlington Cemetery beside her husband, Rev. Harvey Albright.

Lonella was born in Bangs, TX in 1923. She graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas with a degree in Business Administration and completed one year of post-graduate work at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Forth Worth. While in college, she played saxophone in the Cowgirl Band, and met her future husband, Harvey. As newlyweds, they pastored in Oklahoma at the Little City Baptist Church and then moved to Olivet Baptist Church in Tulsa, where their two daughters, Mary and Angela, were born. In 1952 they were called to Dickson Baptist Church and ministered there for 33 years. While also fully functioning as a pastor’s wife, Lonella managed to achieve top sales during tenure at Rothschilds clothing store in Oklahoma City. In 1979, Lonella and “Brother Harvey” traveled to Sao Paulo Brazil to hold a revival at the church of a seminary friend and missionary, Alvin Hatton. After retiring, the couple served at churches in Goldsby, Dibble, Turpin, Beaver, Balko, Belview, and Forgan, OK. Their next, and favorite adventure together, was serving as volunteer Missionary Associates to the Baptist Village in Israel. Two years after Harvey’s death, Lonella moved to Independence, MO to live near her daughter Mary, grandchildren, and then great-grandchildren. She was much loved in these roles.

Survivors are Mary and her husband Michael Varner; son and daughter-in-law Zachary & Candace Varner, Kathryn, and Rebecca; and great grandchildren Claire, and identical twins Zoe and Julia. She is also survived by Angela Albright & her husband Kenneth Reiff, and their children Matthew and Elizabeth.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association or the International Rescue Committee (www.fromharmtohome.org) . Arrangements are under the direction of Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.