Waunita D. Collogan

Waunita Dillivan was born Sept. 12, 1930, at Jefferson, the daughter of Lloyd and Reaka (Heuton) Dillivan.

Waunita grew up in the Jefferson, Scranton and Grand Junction areas. She attended school in Grand Junction and began exchanging letters with a pen pal, a young girl in California, beginning in the eighth grade. Waunita graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1947, and the pen pal experience continued on for 70 more years.

Waunita was united in marriage to Lowell Collogan on Jan. 23, 1949. They became the parents of four children.  

Waunita and Lowell farmed all of their married lives. Waunita helped with harvest activities, fence building, dealing with livestock and other outdoor farm work. She was a substitute rural mail carrier for the United States Postal Service and she was employed many winters doing farm taxes. 

Through the United Methodist Church, Waunita and Lowell participated in many mission trips, including impoverished areas of Louisiana, Illinois and the island of Antigua. They were devout members of the First United Methodist Church in Grand Junction. Waunita served on many church committees. She donated years of service to 4-H, and to the Greene County Medical Center, also serving as auxiliary president.

Waunita Collogan died March 8 at the Greene County Medical Center. She was 90 years of age.

A funeral service was held March 11 at the United Methodist Church in Grand Junction, with words of comfort by Pastor Steve Ransom.

Casket bearers were her grandchildren.

Interment was in the Junction Twp. Cemetery.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, who died in 1997; brothers Larry Dillivan, Wendell Dillivan and Maurice Dillivan; a sister, Marcella Smith; an infant sister, Velma; and a son-in-law, Dennis Peterson.

Waunita is survived by her children:  Deborah Peterson, of Eldridge; Thomas (Maggie) Collogan, of Eldridge; Timothy (Margaret McCoy) Collogan, of Grand Junction; and Doresa Collogan, of Holstein; five grandchildren: Nicholas, Dawn, Danelle, Deanne and Devin; eight great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Marilyn Dillivan, of Des Moines; nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends. 

Memorials in honor of Waunita are suggested to the Grand Junction Methodist Church.

Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home assisted the family.