Eula (Humphreys) Stolldorf, age 96 of Joplin, MO, passed away peacefully on August 7, 2017 at her daughter’s home in Joplin. She was born August 31, 1920, to Dave and Mary Humphreys, the fourth of six children.
Eula attended District 81 rural school south of Wymore through eighth grade, and was a 1938 graduate of Wymore High School. She always enjoyed telling stories of country school and the antics she created with her friends and siblings. In high school, she had eyes for only one handsome young man – Murray Stolldorf. They married on August 6, 1941 at the courthouse in Beatrice. The couple made their home in Wymore and then in Denver, CO before Murray joined the Army Air Corps in July of 1943. Eula continued to live in Denver while he was overseas for three years, working at the downtown Montgomery Ward store. After his discharge, they stayed in Denver a year, then moved to Texas for a short time before moving on to Inglewood, CA. It was 1948 when Eula gave birth to her only child, a daughter.
Eula, Murray, and baby Joanie moved back to their beloved Wymore in 1949, to spend the rest of their lives together, until Murray died in 2004. Eula maintained life on her own for several years before moving to Joplin in early 2013 to live with her daughter.
Eula spent her years as a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker. Her family and large extended family were of highest priority in her life. She always loved being together with her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. She was a wonderful cook and enjoyed finding and baking new recipes. Eula was famous for her meatballs, and shared many dishes of them with friends home from the hospital or bereaved families. Her heart was to serve others in many ways. For anyone that would knock on her door, there was always a cup of coffee waiting with a homemade dessert on the side as well as friendly chit chat. Eula was a very kind, humble, caring and loving person. She was a wonderful example of the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ that the Apostle Paul speaks about in Galatians 5, as God’s Spirit showed through her in love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
AS a long time member of the Wymore Church of Christ, Eula taught Sunday School and VBS in years past, and was also a high school youth sponsor. She was always at the church to cook and serve food for funerals and other church events and a member of Mary Circle and Christian Builders Sunday School class.
In the earlier years, Eula was an avid bowler and part of a championship team that traveled frequently to tournaments. She was a Y-Teen sponsor at the high school, and cooked and hosted for many of those events. She loved being a member of P.E.O., Chapter Q, in Wymore, and attending all of the meetings. Eula was ever present at all of her daughter’s and granddaugter’s special events. She and Murray loved traveling to their daughter’s home and traveling with friends to see several parts of our country. They especially enjoyed the friendships and card parties with their close longtime friends. After Murray’s death, she joined more card groups and spent even more time with family and friends.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughter Joanie and husband, John Evans, of Joplin, MO, granddaughters and husbands, Dr. Melinda Banister Antilley (Zachary), Molly Williams, Marci Burchfield (Michael), and Megan Ford (Trey). Great grandchildren include Alex and Andrew Banister, Samuel, Benjamin, Jonathan, and Catherine Williams, and Adam Evans. Sister-in-laws, Teri Humphrey of Seal Beach, CA, Carol Stolldorf Allen (Merle) of Potomac Falls, VA, and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband and best friend, Murray (2004), parents, David and Mary (Roberts) Humphreys, parents-in-law August and Grayce (Specht) Stolldorf, brothers and sisters-in-law Walter Humphreys ( KIA – WWII), Kenneth and Arlene Humphreys, Dale and Ella Mae Humphrey, sisters and brothers-in-law Mildred and Kenneth Whittaker, Elizabeth and Don Martz, brother-in-law Keith Stolldorf, and nephew Dennis Martz.
Eula’s faith in her Lord and spending time with family gave her much joy and always continued to be the most important things in her life. She was always a gracious hostess, and loved javing family and friends drop by so she could serve. Her smile and laughter will live on in our hearts forever!