August 1935 – August 2019
OnaLou was born Alta OnaLou Crow in Modesto, California on August 3, 1935 to William & Addie Crow. She lived in the Modesto/Turlock area until she married. She had two older brothers, Ed & Versol Crow, and an older sister, Florene (Crow) Boyd.
She attended Enslen & Prairie Flower elementary schools. She then attended and graduated from Turlock High School in 1953. After graduation she began working for the local phone company.
She married Clifford Lovelady on January 28, 1954 in Livingston, CA. Their first child, “Ed” Edwin, was born on November 26, 1955. They moved to Simi, CA where Clifford had a job at Rocketdyne. Their second child, “Cissy” Winona, was born there on November 8, 1957. A few years later they moved to Delhi, CA where their third child, Alan, was born on July 18, 1960. Another move found them in Mountain View and Santa Clara respectively, where their fourth child, Glen, was born on February 21, 1963.
They remained in the Bay Area until they moved to Meadow Vista, CA in 1969 and then Grass Valley, CA in 1974. Clifford became the minister of the Whiting Street congregation of the Church of Christ and a new life of ministry began. This ministry took them from Grass Valley to Yreka, CA in 1975. They returned to the Grass Valley area when Clifford’s health declined. He passed away in 1993. OnaLou returned to the Central Valley shortly thereafter and later reconnected and fell in love with Jack Carter. They married in 2003 and OnaLou found herself back in Delhi. Unfortunately, Jack passed away in 2006, but not before he provided a home for her back in Modesto. She remained there until her passing.
During her life OnaLou held many different jobs but she especially liked working in the gift shops of numerous businesses. She was a consultant for Home Interiors for a time, and had a small business venture she called, “Crow’s Nest.”
She loved the Lord and loved to share His message with those she met. She led many Bible studies through the years, both personal and through correspondence.
OnaLou enjoyed learning computer skills and was the admin for numerous Facebook pages – some for family to connect, others for groups like the mobile home park where she lived. She also loved to create flyers for church or family functions, and computer generated cards which she shared with all.
She had a deep passion for genealogy, as well. She spent the latter years of her life researching and connecting with newly discovered relatives, and reconnecting with others. She found great joy in tracing both sides of her family tree, and those of the Lovelady family. She especially loved tracing her ancestry to relatives in Arkansas, where both her parents were born.
She was preceded in death by her parents; all of her siblings; both of her husbands; her son, Edwin Lovelady; and granddaughter, Jami Lovelady.
She is survived by her three remaining children and their spouses: “Cissy” & Jerry Murphy; Alan & Deborah Lovelady; Glen Lovelady; her grandchildren and their spouses: Mandy Lovelady & Irma Franco; Nicola & Scott Baldwin; Ben & Brooke Murphy; Clinton & Megan Lovelady; Eliza Lovelady; Anna Lovelady; five great grandchildren; one aunt, Novella Horn; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and other extended family.
A Memorial Service will be held Friday, August 23, 2019 at 11:30 AM at the Whitmore Lane Church of Christ in Modesto, California. A private burial will take place on Saturday, August 24, 2019 in Grass Valley, California where she will be interred next to Clifford and Edwin.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to your favorite charity.
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