Lona Heublein

1918 - 2021

Lona Heublein

Appleton - Lona Lucile Heublein passed into eternal life on April 26, 2021 at age 103. She was born on April 1, 1918 to Emery and Rebecca (Olson) Gaylord, Wautoma, WI. She grew up on a farm, attended the rural country school, graduated from Wautoma High School and received her BS in Education from Oshkosh State Teachers College. Her first job was teaching English and Biology at Lomira High School. She married C. Russell McBrair Dec. 13, 1941, a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the spring of 1942 she moved to Detroit, MI, where her husband was training at the electronics school for the U.S. Navy. Lona worked at the 3rd Ferring Command in communications, staying there while her husband was on active duty in the Atlantic. In 1944, Russell was assigned to shore duty as an electronics instructor in Little Creek, VA. They lived in Virginia for the duration of the war, then returned to Wautoma, WI, where Lona taught at Wautoma High School. Her husband of twenty four years passed away unexpectedly on a family trip to West Virginia in 1965.In 1978 Lona and Elmer Heublein were married. For thirty years they traveled this country and Europe by car, plane and motor home. They made many trips to the West Coast to visit Elmer's sister and three sons Carl, John (Theresa), Tom (Nancy) and grandson, Shaun. Lona enjoyed rosemaling, reading, sewing, golfing, fishing, playing bridge, genealogy and traveling. She was an active member of First United Methodist Church, Appleton Women's Club and The Odd Lots Investment Club, which she organized. She was a fifty year member of Eastern Star.

Lona is survived by Nancy Olson, Madison, WI, Mary Erickson, Sister Bay, WI., Carl Heublein, Santa Clarita, CA., John Heublein (Theresa), Enumclaw, WA., Tom Heublein (Nancy), Seattle, WA., grandchildren: Sarah Moriva Genschaw (Shane), Cottage Grove, WI., Jennifer Olson, Madison, WI., Anne Beattie (Robert), Bloomington, MN., Megan Erickson, Sturgeon Bay, WI., Kelly Erickson, Eden Prairie, MN., Shaun Heublein, Kent, WA. She is further survived by great grandsons, Aaron, Brady and Aidan Moriva, Oliver Strege, and Liam Beattie. She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, Howard Gaylord, Orris Gaylord (Marjorie), Alta Jones (Morgan), her son-in-law, David Erickson, her granddaughter Megan's husband, Ed and grandson James Olson.

The service will be held at First United Methodist Church on June 19, 2021 at 11:00 am, visitation at 10:00 am until the time of service. A lunch will be served following the service at The Machine Shed, Appleton. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church or Theda Care Hospice.