Lois E. Erwin

Lois Ellen Conway Erwin of Paoli, Oklahoma passed from this life on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at her home just 22 days before her 99th birthday. She was born on October 15, 1924, in St. Louis, MO, at 2 pounds 8 ounces and was left at a hospital in St. Louis, MO with the medical team, not believing she would live long. Two days later, on Friday, October 17, 1924, upon seeing an advertisement in the St. Louis Post Dispatch Newspaper saying: “Baby girl for adoption”, Fred Conway went to the hospital to inquire. Convincing the hospital to let him take her home, he and his wife, Oma Conway, nurtured the tiny baby and surprisingly, she lived. On December 5, 1924, Lois was adopted by Fred and Oma Conway with her full name being called Lois Ellen Conway. As a young child, she did not know she was adopted. At the age of 9, she was told by a playmate that she was adopted and spent the rest of her life trying to locate who her mother was. At the age of 89, she finally learned the name of her birth mother, Eloise Collison, who had given her the name “Lois”. As a young child, Lois moved frequently as her father sought work and she had no church background. It was after another move in 1935, that her dad took her to a store-front mission church, that happened to be a Pentecostal Church in St. Louis. There she gave her life to the Lord, and she received the Holy Ghost and was baptized as per Acts 2:38. With her family moving all the time, she dropped out of school after her first year of High School and started working. She lived with different people in the church at different times, paying them room and board in order to attend church regularly. As a teenager, she worked in a beauty shop, training to be a beauty operator. Other jobs she had included being the elevator operator in an office building, working at a meat packing company, parachute company packing parachutes, and a clerk at J.J. Newberry’s 5 & 10 Store. She totally supported herself financially from the age of 16. She attended three years at the Apostolic Bible College, in Tulsa, OK, and graduated salutatorian. She evangelized and preached many revivals. After the death of her father and graduating from bible school, she returned to St. Louis in 1948 with her mother and worked at the UPCI Headquarters as a secretary in the Publishing Department. At the age of 26, Lois and her mother happened to drive over from Fayetteville, AR to Denver, AR to attend a church rally service. There the Lord revealed to her the man who would become her husband. He was serving in the US Air Force and had come home for that weekend. After about a year of courting they were married in the living room of Rev. Mark Baughman’s home in Fayetteville, AR on March 28, 1952. Later, after marrying, she attended the University of Arkansas one summer, studying psychology. Years later, after being married and having children, she obtained her GED. Lois was an ordained minister of the United Pentecostal Church, International (UPCI) for 73 years. With her husband being an officer in the US Air Force they moved several times which enabled them to help in several churches. Over the years, together the two of them blessed the lives of thousands of people while building the Kingdom of God. They started a home missions church in Cicero, IL, relocating to Brookfield, IL, as well as, served for many years with her husband in the Illinois UPCI District. She was instrumental in raising funds to purchase a home for unwed mothers, which became New Beginnings International Children’s & Family Service located in Tupelo, MS. With the passing of her husband on March 21, 1998, Rev. Eugene Erwin, Lois relocated to Paoli, OK with her son Terry and was a member of the Paoli Pentecostal Church. They were blessed with four children. Connie Jean, Terry Eugene, Brent Alan, and David Joe Erwin to whom she dedicated to the Lord and prayed for them daily, as well as for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was not only an avid reader of the Bible but also did deep studies of the Word of God and was a mighty prayer warrior. A woman to whom God gave visions and dreams and spoke to directly concerning situations in people’s lives. During her almost 99 years, she has endured many challenges, situations, sicknesses, heart problems, cancers, COVID-19, as well as many spiritual battles. Cancer and all her other health problems did not take her. She surprised a many of doctors and had several encounters with death only to see God extend her life for her to touch and pray for more people. An amazing woman and mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. A lady who loved God and to laugh. Her life’s motto was “With God and laughter you can get through anything.” Many viewed her as a mentor and friend. She was an elder and grandma to the Paoli Pentecostal Church family. She was preceded in Death by: Her adoptive parents – Frederick William Conway & Oma Elizabeth Pullen Conway Husband – Rev. Eugene Erwin Son – Brent Alan Erwin She is survived by: . 1 Daughter – Connie (Raymond) Robinson of College Station, TX 2 Sons – Rev. Terry (Pamela) Erwin of Paoli, OK David (Julie) Erwin of Louisville, KY 8 Grandchildren: Rev. Terron (Farrah) Erwin – Albion, MI Teryla (Rev. Daimon) Hillhouse – Paoli, OK Terrel (Tiffany) Erwin – Paoli, OK Jonathan (Kristen) Robinson – Franklin, TN Jeremy (Patty) Robinson – College Station, TX Jared Robinson – Cedar Park, TX Katie Erwin – Louisville, KY Mallory Erwin – Louisville, KY 10 Great-Grandchildren: Clark & Cole Erwin Addison & Alexander Erwin Ean, Enderson & Elizabeth Hillhouse Camila Robinson Raegan & Weston Robinson A special Nephew – Jackie Inman And Niece – Patrica Erwin Feldman Along with a host of friends and church family members…with a whole lot of wonderful memories! A going-home service for Lois is set to begin at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at the Paoli Pentecostal Church in Paoli, Oklahoma. Lois will be laid to rest at 10:00 A.M. on Friday, September 29, 2023, at the Denver Cemetery in Carroll County Arkansas. Services are under the direction of Scott and Angel Wilbourn of Wilbourn Family Funeral Home in Lindsay, Oklahoma. Condolences may be made to the family online at www.wilbournfamilyfuneralhome.com

Lois E. Erwin

October 15, 1924 - September 23, 2023

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