January 9, 1927 ~ June 17, 2024 (age 97)
Obituary
Mary Louise (Wales) Coale, age 97, of Nacogdoches, Texas, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 17, 2024. Family and caregivers were at her side. Louise was born on January 9, 1927, in Birmingham, Alabama. She was the daughter of James and Annie Lee (Argo) Wales. In her formative years, the Wales family lived in Pleasant Grove, Alabama, where the family moved to cut expenses and deal with the Great Depression. She graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in May 1945.
Louise met Robert Coale during her High School years. Upon his return from combat in WWII, they married on May 27, 1945, a marriage that lasted 72 years until Robert’s death in 2017. They were a United States Air Force couple with Selma, Alabama, and Craig AFB as their “home base.” They lived, worshiped, worked, and raised their daughters in Selma. Louise and Robert were active in the Baptist Church; Louise especially enjoyed the choir.
In Selma, Alabama, she and her family were one of the first members of the new Elkdale Baptist Church. Later, they were active in the Pleasant Grove, Alabama, Baptist Church, and finally, in Nacogdoches, Texas, they were members of the First Baptist Church.
Louise joined the Civil Service in 1956 and worked for the United States Air Force as a Military Personal Specialist at Craig Air Force Base in Selma, Alabama. Later, she served with the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field, Montgomery, Alabama. After her 30-year career, she received a Presidential Citation recognizing her dedication to the Air Force and the Nation.
Louise was an excellent cook, quick to invite friends and even new folks she just met at church to her Sunday dinner table. Her “never met a stranger” personality brought new members to her family and gave her friendships that lasted a lifetime.
Louise’s hobbies mainly were her family and friends. She enjoyed the Garden Club during Selma years where she took as much interest in her fellow gardeners as she did in the latest gardening techniques.
Louise is survived by her daughters, Donna Weaver (Alan) and Karen Migl (Don); grandchildren Christopher Migl (Laura), Derek Migl (Kristie), Monica (Migl) Neumann (Jeffrey), and Jason Weaver; great-grandchildren Mallory and Lilly Migl; Adalynn, Acetyn, Alexander Neumann and Luke Neumann; Sisters Darlene Thompson and Annie Isaac; and brothers Robert and Dewey Wales. She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Robert; sisters Sarah Lucille Farrell and Beatrice Lavera Collins; brother Douglas Wales; grandson Ryan Weaver; and many other nieces and nephews.
Texas friends and family visitation will be on Friday, June 21, from 12:00 noon until 1:00 PM at Laird’s Funeral Home, Nacogdoches, Texas; service will be at 1:00 PM, with reception to follow. Alabama friends and family visitation will be on Monday, June 24th, from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church; service will be at 11:00 AM with burial at the First United Methodist Church cemetery. After the burial, lunch will be served in the Family Life Center at the church.
The family thanks The Arbor and Harbor Hospice for all their loving care. Words cannot express the love that was given to Louise by all her caretakers: Veronica, Lori, Thelma, Elesha, Angie, Gamika, Zata, Jennifer, Heather, Alicia, and so many others. We are so blessed, and our hearts are full.
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