Lzena McElvany

Lzena L. McElvany was born to John N. Warren and Mary Jane Fleshman-Warren on Dec. 9, 1935, near Loyal.

She went home to Jesus on July 9, 2020, at the age of 84 after a long battle with cancer.

The funeral for Lzena was 10 a.m. Tuesday July 14, at the First United Methodist Church in Loyal, officiated by Pastor Debbie Biehler. Burial followed at Forest Home Cemetery under the direction of Cordry-Gritz Funeral Home.

As a child, Lzena attended Omega and Loyal Schools.

Lzena met her husband and lifelong partner of 67 years, Robert (Bob) L. McElvany, in 1952 at the First United Methodist Church in Loyal, where Bob’s father was the minister. They married June 15, 1953, and went on to have three children, Diane Hardin, Terri Judkins and Robin McElvany. Due to Bob’s military service, they moved many times until settling down in Choctaw in 1963. They lived there until both retired after long careers at Tinker Air Force Base.

After retirement, they moved back to Loyal in 1990.

In addition to being a dedicated and loving wife and mother, Lzena also loved spending time at the lake fishing and throwing the girls around on skis, tubes and other toys.

She also loved to garden and grow her own vegetables. She enjoyed taking a swim in her pool to relax after work.

After returning to Loyal, she became a very involved member of the Loyal United Methodist Church. She was a member and secretary of the UMW. She worked hard to help with the Wednesday Night Kids group and the ever-loved annual Loyal United Methodist Church Thanksgiving dinner.

She also became a radical Lomega basketball fan and attended almost all the home and away games, including many tournaments and state championships.

She also loved to travel when she could and she always loved being surrounded by her family and friends. Throughout her entire life, she held an unwavering faith in God, which she shared with those around her.

Lzena joins her parents John N. and Mary Warren, granddaughter Ashley Judkins and many other family and friends in Heaven.

She is survived by her husband Bob McElvany; sister MaryLynn Ogle; daughters Diane Hardin and husband Bill, Terri Judkins and Robin McElvany; grandchildren April Wellman and husband Steve, Brad and wife Randi, Bobby and fiancé Amber, Alysia and husband David, Brandon and wife Dawn; 20 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations may be made in her name to theUnited Methodist Church with the funeral home serving as custodian of the fund.

God saw she was getting tired

And a cure was not to be,

So He put His loving arms around her

And whispered, “Come with Me:

With tearful eyes we watched her suffer

And saw her fade away,

Although we loved her dearly

We could not make her stay.

A golden heart stopped beating

Hard working hands to rest,

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.