Zelma Deborah (Steller) McIlroy

Zelma Deborah McIlroy, 97 years old, went to be with her Lord and Savior peacefully in her home in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by her family. She was born May 20, 1918 in Cement, Oklahoma to Charles Edward and Lillie Jane (Thomas) Lontz. She graduated in 1938 from Northwest Bible Institute, which later became Northwest University, in the school’s second graduating class. She was for a time a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God and teamed up with several other graduates to temporarily pastor churches in Goldendale, Washington and Redland, Oregon. She married Rev. Lawrence A. Steller on January 1, 1940 in Seattle, Washington and they were married for 43 years. Together they pastored Assembly of God churches in Montesano and Milton, Washington, Pocatello, Idaho and Portland, Oregon. They served one year in 1981 at the South Pacific Bible College in Fiji after Lawrence retired. Several years after Lawrence’s passing in 1983, she met Harry Gail McIlroy and they were married May 24, 1987 in Clackamas, Oregon. They were married for 26 years. Gail passed away July 14, 2013. Zelma was an accomplished musician and in her early years, a licensed practical nurse. She was buried at Wilhelm Portland Memorial in Portland.

Zelma is survived by her children, Karen and Bill Sprinkel of Albany, Rev. Larry and Delores Steller of Wilsonville, OR, Steve Steller, Doug and Mary Steller and Dennis McIlroy of Portland; grandchildren, Wendy and Dennis Marks and Leslie and Heather Sprinkel of Albany, OR, Rev. Brian and Kimberly Steller of Jacksonville, OR, Angela and Rev. Virgil Brown of Renton, WA, Renae and Nick Bogner of Albuquerque, NM, Amy and Rev. Micah Tuttle of Tarapoto, Peru and Phillip Steller of Portland; 18 cherished and loved great-grandchildren; and three sisters-in-law, Joan Lontz of Maple Valley, WA, Nancy Oberg of Puyallup, WA and Pearle Steller of Santa Fe, NM.