Twila Easterwood Schonlau

Twila Irene Stinson Easterwood Schonlau was born November 3, 1934 to George Boyle & Orpha Belle (Smith) Stinson on their farm NE of Buffalo, OK. She attended Buffalo Public Schools graduating with the class of 1953 and joined the workforce. She was employed most of the first part of her adult life at Oklahoma State Bank where she established a reputation of honesty, dependability and friendliness. She spent her weekends on the farm helping with chores, attending church with her parents and enjoying weekly family dinners that included her older sister, Kathleen & Verlin Hughes and their family. Church affiliation in these early years was Methodist followed by Nazarene. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior at an early age and committed her life to serving him. She loved being with family, traveling and sewing. Vacations were spent traveling with Kathleen & Verlin and their children: Joyce, Steve, Jim and Lisa. She would choose which relative she wanted to visit, and share expenses for the trip. Memorable trips were taken to Kansas, Missouri, Michigan (crossing into Canada), and frequently OKC. She loved to visit family and have family visit Buffalo. She was always present for birthdays and holidays and her nieces and nephews could always find her in attendance at their school and church programs and activities. On May 16, 1966, she married Warren Easterwood, a rancher from Ft. Supply. She resigned her job at the bank and embraced her new role as Warren's wife living on the Easterwood Ranch. Their honeymoon was a trip to the Holy Land. She joined him in worship at the Ft. Supply Baptist Church, serving wherever she was needed including youth sponsors to Falls Creek each summer. She was welcomed into the Easterwood family by Warren's brother, Glenn & Jane Easterwood and their sons Leonard Lynn, and Warren's sister, Helen & John Bounds and their children, Ruth and Ned. The Hughes children had to learn to share her with the Easterwoods and found that she could love all of them and never let any of them feel slighted. Warren died on Nov. 7 1975. Twila moved back to Buffalo and purchased and remodeled (several times) a home on the same street that her mother had moved to after George's death. She was employed in the County Court Clerk's Office and after the lady who held that position retired she was elected to replace her. She served Harper County as the County Court Clerk until the end of Dec. 1999. She spent time daily with her mother and after Kathleen & Verlin moved to town, with them as well. Many evenings were spent enjoying a game of turkey tracks or dominos. She took woodworking classes and built a beautiful china hutch for her home. She grew gorgeous flowers and was rewarded for her efforts when she was recognized as having the Yard of the Month. She was an active member of First Baptist Church serving as needed particularly as Sunday School Secretary and on the funeral dinner committee. She continued traveling to destinations in Oregon and Niagara Falls in addition to frequent trips to OKC and Kansas. Some trips were on bus tours. Her life was full. Change, however, was on the horizon and the Easterwood and Hughes families learned once again about sharing Twila. On June 28, 2003, Twila embarked on a new journey with her soulmate, Norval Schonlau, embracing his loving family, including daughter Melody, son-in-law Richard, and grandsons Cody and Anthony as her own. Together they shared 12 incredible years filled with unforgettable adventures, including two Canadian getaways and coast-to-coast bus tours. Witnessing Cody and Anthony grow into compassionate men and start families of their own was one of her greatest joys, and cherishing moments with her 6 great-grandkids brought immense joy to her heart. She joined Norval in worship at the Assembly of God Church and later at First Baptist Church where she remained an active member through the end of her life. Norval died on Oct. 7, 2015 and Twila adapted to living alone once again. A fall in May of 2022 dislocated her shoulder. Recovery and healing required 24/7 care and Twila chose to move to Parkview Pointe in Laverne OK receive that care. She enjoyed living there and the temporary move became permanent, and she lived the rest of her life there. She had always enjoyed good health until the summer of 2024 when she experienced symptoms of something more serious than advancing age. Tests to assess damage from a fall on Sept. 5 showed more symptoms. Her health declined rapidly after that and God took her to heaven on Oct. 11, 2024 at Parkview Pointe. Jim, Lynn and Melody were with her in her final moments on earth.

 She was preceded in death by her parents: George & Orpha Stinson; both husbands: Warren Easterwood and Norval Schonlau; sister: Kathleen & Verlin Hughes; brother-in-law: Glenn & Jane Easterwood; sister-in-law: Helen & John Bounds; nephews: Leonard Easterwood and Steve & Donna Hughes.

Left to cherish her memory are: 

Schonlau: Step-daughter: Melody & Richard Bryer; grandsons: Cody and Anthony Bryer and their families; and niece: Linda & Scott Christensen Easterwood: nephew: Lynn & Jody Easterwood and their children: Caleb, Jordan and Jolyn and their families 

Hughes: nephews: Jim & Nancy Hughes and sons: Johnny and Jeremy and their families; Steve's children: Jennifer and Steven; nieces: Joyce & Dean Montgomery: Lisa & Les Peterman and their children Dacia and Wyatt and their spouses, cousins and many friends.

God blessed each of us with the gift of Twila!

The family would like to thank the staff at Parkview Pointe and Humanity Hospice for their care of Twila. 

The family suggest memorials to the Gideons International 

PO Box 97251 Washington, DC 20090-7251.