Pauline Coon (1926-2019)

Pauline Anne Coon passed away peacefully from this life to her eternal home on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, at the age of 93.

She was born on June 14, 1926, in Pryor, OK.  Pauline was the youngest of three children and the only daughter of Harvey and Mattie (Sommers) Nofziger.  The following year the family moved to the Fayette, OH, area where she graduated high school. She worked as a secretary at the Pet Milk Company in Wauseon before marrying Victor Coon whom she had known since childhood.  They were married June 8, 1947, at Central Mennonite Church when church weddings were just becoming popular.  They were married for 49 years.  

At age 21 she suffered a major hearing loss and wore hearing aids the rest of her life but became very good at lip reading. Pauline was a stay-at-home mother to their four children, Cecilia, Clinton, Roland and Clifford.  They always lived in the Wauseon area ending up on a farm north of town. She loved helping at the church library and the WMSA sewing circle first at Tedrow, then North Clinton Mennonite Church and finally Central Mennonite Church.

Pauline also loved gardening—canning and freezing lots of homegrown fruits and vegetables.  She also loved reading, sewing, quilting, knitting and crocheting—teaching the same to her children and grandchildren.  She was also known for playing lots of games with them. She and Victor enjoyed camping with the family—first in a tent, then a school bus, camper and finally a motorhome.  They travelled some but mostly camped at Harrison Lake and Sonny’s campground.

During the early 70’s she was a foster “Mom” for several years. When Victor retired they spent one winter in Brownsville, TX, doing volunteer work. Many following winters were spent at their home in Deland, FL. Eventually they sold the farm and moved to Archbold across the street from Pauline’s brother.  There she enjoyed early morning walks and visiting with friends and neighbors.

At age 80 Pauline became a lung cancer survivor.  She spent the following 7 years at her daughter’s home in Michigan and 5 years in Kokomo, IN, near her son. She was a woman of faith and prayer and was often heard singing while she worked. She was a wonderful cook and a faithful and loving wife, mother and grandmother—even knowing the names of all her great-grandchildren until the time of her death.

She leaves to mourn her passing three children, Cecilia (Alan) Hughes, Conway, MI, Clinton (Peggy) Coon, Kokomo, IN,  daughter-in-law Grace (Roland) Coon, Lakeland, TN,  Clifford (Stina) Coon, Tega Cay, SC, 11 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Harold and Kenneth, husband Victor and son Roland.

Memorial service to be on October 26, 2019 with burial at Pettisville Cemetary.