Dona Lou Cottingim

Dona Lou Cottingim (83) of Oologah,Oklahoma went to be with the Lord July 1st, 2011. Dona was born Dona Lou Reece on April 7th, 1928 in Dawson, Oklahoma to Cecil Reese and Betty Sturdavant. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Jim Cottingim after 64 years of marriage in 2009, parents, Cecil Reece, Betty and Jim O’Brien, infant brother and sister, Wanda Jo Stewart. She is survived by her three children, son Robert Cottingim and wife Toni (Collinsville, OK), daughter Debbie Trower (Oologah, OK), son Bud Cottingim and wife Steva (Tulsa, OK), brothers, Cecil Reese and wife Peggy, Larry O’Brien and wife Debbie, Jim O’Brien and wife Sherry, sisters, Billie Williams and husband Jim, Becky O’Brien, Dorris Hammons and husband Johnny, her grandchildren, James Robert Cottingim and wife Brandy, Rustin Draper and husband Sean, Bryan Williams and wife Angela, T.J. Williams and wife Jennifer, Shaunda Cottingim, Charla Lentz and husband Nathan, Maggie Cottingim, Mary Stevens and husband Beau, Damon Herald, Keeli Bowers, Jessica Higginbotham, fifteen great-grandchildren, special lifelong friends Craig and Margaret Creech, Pat and Judy Herald, Terry Due, and many others, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Dona was one of the first women to become vice-president of a major corporation in the 1950s. She was the vice-president of National Trailer Convoy until she resigned to assist her husband with their business, Cloverleaf Wholesale Lumber in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She did book keeping for the oil and gas industry and for her husband, son, and grandson for 3-C Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma until the time of her death. She was a lifelong supporter of the Collinsville Public School system, their athletic programs, and was a member of the Collinsville Athletic Booster Club.

Dona lived 83 years of a life filled with love, faith, and family. Of all her accomplishments, Dona’s greatest achievements have been in the lives of her family and friends. She had a unique gift to recognize and appreciate the talents in others and to make them feel loved and lifted by her presence. Her kind heart and brilliant smile allowed her to make the simplest story she told sparkle. Her generous heart filled her home with love and fun, including an attitude that there was always room for one more. She was known as “Nanny” by all and truly lived up to the name. She may be gone physically, but her sweet, nurturing spirit will be carried on through the lives she has touched.

(Everyone knew that you could tell Nanny your secrets and she would never tell them)

Visitation: Tuesday, July 5, 2011, from 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday, July 6, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Collinsville Dolton Funeral Home, 1302 West Main Street.

Funeral Mass: 12:00 p.m., Thursday, July 7, 2011 at St. Therese Catholic Church, 1007 North 19th Street, Collinsville.

In lieu of flowers or plants please make a contribution to The Jim and Dona Cottingim Collinsville Schools Scholarship fund c/o Linda Pavey at American Bank of Oklahoma in Collinsville. All proceeds will be awarded to a Collinsville High School graduate for college expenses.