Services were held March 11 at the United Methodist Church in Grand Junction for Waunita Collogan, 90, of Jefferson, formerly of Grand Junction.
Words of comfort were offered by Pastor Steve Ransom. Casket bearers were Waunita’s grandchildren. Interment was at the Junction Township Cemetery at Grand Junction.
Waunita Dillivan was born September 12, 1930, in 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 January 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, 2021, at Greene County Medical Center. She was 90 years of age. Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband who died in 1997, brothers Larry Dillivan, Wendell Dillivan and Maurice Dillivan; sister Marcella Smith; an infant sister Velma; and son-in-law, Dennis Peterson.
Waunita is survived by her children, Deborah Peterson and Thomas (Maggie) Collogan of Eldridge, Timothy (Margaret McCoy) Collogan of Grand Junction, and Doresa Collogan of Holstein; grandchildren Nicholas, Dawn, Danelle, Deanne, and Devin; eight great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Marilyn Dillivan of Des Moines and nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends.
Memorials in honor of Waunita are suggested to the Grand Junction Methodist Church.
The family was assisted by Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home of Jefferson.
