Wynoma was born in Bessie, Oklahoma on October 27, 1935 to Louis and Clara Steigman. She died peacefully in her son’s home January 11, 2023 and was welcomed into the arms of her Lord Jesus Christ.
She suffered from long-term debilitating trigeminal neuralgia, the second worst pain known to man, and later developed COPD. In 2012, Larry brought her from Houston to his home that turned into a caregiver role.
He loved her deeply and wanted to keep her safe and comfortable in her last years. Finally, after 6 months of searching, she got relief for 18 months with a longacting anti-seizure medication until the pain returned, then in 2019, it was managed on hospice.
Wynoma was a kind, gentle and generous soul despite her over 30 years of physical pain. It never broke her attentiveness to others even in the last hours. As a young girl at age 12, she lost her mother and did the chores on the farm and took on a motherly role to help raise her brother and sister. By her side in the last hour, her son’s friend called in to acknowledge her for getting her job done here brilliantly and raising amazing sons who make a difference in the lives of others. After hanging up, She then asked Larry when Maria was going to be a grandma. She said she wanted to give her daughter a gift.
Nurses were shocked she could be coherent enough.
She graduated from Clinton High School and, after completing additional education, was hired by Amoco Oil Company. She married Dale Cleveland with whom she had two sons, Larry Cleveland of Corinth, Texas and Mike Cleveland of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Later she married Bob Collier and was transferred to Amoco’s Houston office until retiring and traveling in their new Cadillac.
A testament to her “being for others” was summed up in the note to her at her retirement event: “I’m glad you were there for me when I needed a friend. You really showed me that no matter how tough things can be, don’t give up!!” Wynoma made many dear friends over the years through her work and membership in the Lutheran Church and later the Baptist Church. Despite her physical setbacks, she kept strong in her faith and beamed it out to the world where she could.
Survivors include her sister Treva Allen of Conroe, Texas, her two sons, her brother Gary Steigman of Edmond, Oklahoma and his son, their children and grandchildren who she loved and adopted as her own never failing to send them birthday cards.
A celebration of her life will be set at a later date.