Eugenia Tilley

Eugenia (Genie) Tilley, 90, died June 18, in Perry, Oklahoma. She was born April 6, 1924 in Fulton County Georgia on the Chattahoochee River on Power’s Ferry Road to the late Luther Burney Morris and Eugenia Elizabeth Power Morris. She grew up and attended schools on the North side of Atlanta, Georgia. She worked at the Atlanta Farmer’s Market, Peachtree Hills Pharmacy and for the Southern Railway from the time she was 16 years old.

Eugenia married Virgil Albert Tilley October 28, 1944. Eugenia and Virgil moved to Iowa in December 1945 with their first son, Joe, in a 5-passenger, 1936 Ford convertible following Virgil’s discharge from the U.S. Army. They rented farms east of Churdan and on the edge of Adaza, Iowa. They farmed and operated an auction service. They purchased their first farm south of Churdan and lived there from 1962 to 1989 farming and operating Tilley Auction Service. They moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1989 after they retired although there were frequent visits back to the farm. Eugenia loved to sew, quilt, cook, do crafts, raise vegetables and take care of her grandchildren and friends.

She was an active member of the United Methodist Church and was active the United Methodist Women in both Churdan and at First United Methodist Church in Stillwater. She was a member and Noble Grand of the Rebekah Lodge, International Order of Oddfellows and Order of the Eastern Star in Churdan. She was proud of her husband’s military service and was active in Legion Auxiliary. She loved to tell stories about her childhood growing up with her brothers and sisters in the hills on the north side of Atlanta, Georgia.

Eugenia is survived by her two sons: Daniel and his wife Marcia, Stillwater, OK, and Joseph and his wife Barbara, Carroll, IA, brothers, Charles Morris (Alpharetta, GA) and sister, Katherine Morris House (Milton, GA). Survivors also include five grandchildren: Alec Tilley and his wife Pam; Joseph Tilley and his wife Laura; Ann Tilley Reider and her husband Ryan; Nicole Tilley Pillay and her husband Pra, and Matthew Tilley. She is also survived by 12 great grandchildren: Emma, Grant, Claire, Zane, Talia, Elizabeth, Grace, Lindley, Austin, Payton, Nikki, and Emily. She was preceded in death by her husband Virgil; parents; sisters Ethyl Moss (Roswell, GA); Bernice Stoval (Loganville, GA), Grace Stowe-Settles (Alpharetta, GA), Sallie Harper, (DeKalb Co., GA); brothers Fred Morris (Port Arthur, TX), Jerry Morris (Cumming/Roswell, GA), Luther (infant death), and David (infant death).

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m., June 23, from the United Methodist Church in Churdan with Pastor Julie Poulsen officiating. Burial was made in the Highland Township Cemetery in Churdan. Musical selections, “On Eagle’s Wings” and “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder” were sung by the congregation and accompanied by organist, Marsha Subbert.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 400 W. Seventh Avenue, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074 or to the Churdan United Methodist Church, 804 Head Street, Churdan, Iowa 50050.