Obituary

Wilma Tijauna Loper, 72, of Abernathy, TX, passed away Thursday, October 12, 2006. Services were held at 2:00 pm Monday, October 16, 2006, in the Church of Christ in Abernathy with Steve Gauntt and David Bennett officiating. Burial followed in the Abernathy Cemetery under the direction of Abell Funeral Home of Abernathy, TX.

Tijauna was born on January 26, 1934 in Littlefield, TX to James and Jewell Graham. She grew up in the Abernathy area living in Littlefield, Lubbock and Abernathy attending school there and graduating from Abernathy High School in 1951. Tijauna married Mayo Loper February 17, 1951 in the Abernathy Church of Christ. She lived the rest of her life in Abernathy. She was baptized into Christ in 1945 at the age of eleven, was a member of the Abernathy Church of Christ since 1948 and loved her Lord and gospel singing.

In additition to rearing her children, she worked, early on, for the Abernathy Schools in the tax office and the City of Abernathy. She had a pastry shop and helped her Dad in his restaurant. She was, for a time, office secretary for the Abernathy Church of Christ, a bookkeeper for Higginbotham-Bartlett Lumber Company and was a licensed Insurance Agent, working for Shipman Insurance and Covey Insurance until retiring from the insurance industry in 1993. Tijauna taught a reading course in the Coalition for Literacy Program in Abernathy, was a member of the Open Heart Club of the Southwest and was a member of the Abernathy Cemetery Association.

She was preceded in death by her parents and sisters, Darlene Fritz and Alice Wolf and a grandson, Cory Dale Loper.

She is survived by her husband, Mayo, her children, Judy Gunter and her husband Bobby of Spring, TX, Tony Loper and his wife Paulette of Deltona, FL, David Loper and his wife Judy of Spokane, WA and Douglas Loper of Sherman, TX, 10 grandchildren, Damon Loper, Dax Loper and his wife Danielle, Stephanie Loper, Erich Loper, Colby Schuler and his wife Christina, Jeffrey Schuler and his wife Stephanie, Jamie Hewett, Steven Hewett, Carey Switzer and Ryan Switzer and 6 great grandchildren, Christopher Schuler, Cory Schuler, Jordan Silva, Tyler Schuler, Daylen Loper and Darren Loper, many cousins, nieces, nephews and aunts and all her Church kids.

Memorials may be made to the Cory Dale Loper Music Memorial at Lubbock Christian University or the Abernathy Cemetery Association or the Heart Fund.