Sarah Lou (Cheney) Loveless

Sarah Lou Loveless, daughter of the late Charles and Winnie Cheney, was born on August 16, 1926 at Forest City, Arkansas, and passed away on November 29, 2012 in the Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, Missouri, following a long illness. She was 86 years, 3 months, and 13 days of age.

Many things were taking place in the year 1926, and things were very different: The United States President was Calvin Coolidge, its population was 117,397,000, federal spending was at $2.93 billion, and the unemployment rate was merely 1.8%. Richard Byrd flew to the North Pole and back, U.S. Marines were dispatched to Nicaragua during the revolt, and a general strike in Britain brought the nation to a standstill. In 1926, you could buy a Coke for 5 cents and a first-class stamp for 2 cents. Aloma of the South See was number one in the box office, and the hit songs were “Bye Bye Blackbird,” and “Show Me The Way.” And somewhere out in the “Boonies” of Arkansas, a little baby girl named Sarah Lou was born.

She became our mother, the mother of Gene, Betty Jo, Glenda, Lois, Linda, Larry, Lora, Margaret, Gary, and Janet. She always loved music and she loved to sing. When there were no radios or instruments, she made her own music. We remember her tying some sort of strings onto a board and making a guitar and singing. We’ve watched her dance to music that only she could hear. An early memory of songs she sang for us includes: “She’ll Be Coming Around The Mountain.”

Our mother taught us values, strength, and to be independent. When we went through a trial, she would tell us that our trials would make us strong. She loved her family and greatly enjoyed visits and get-togethers. She will be greatly missed.

Our dear mother loved Jesus and was a very strong prayer warrior. It would not be unusual to come home late at night and find her asleep on the sofa with the Bible lying on her chest because she had fallen asleep reading the Word of God. She had dreams and visions and interceded in prayer for all of her children and grandchildren. Her greatest desire was for all of her children to meet her again in Heaven. We have no doubt that she will find the music department in Heaven and join the angel choir. So the next time we hear heavenly music, let’s stop to listen a little closer. We just might pick out our mother’s voice in the millions of angels singing to the Lord.

Besides her parents, Sarah was preceded in death by her son: Franklin Cheney; one brother: Calvin Cheney; and one sister: Vera Franklin.

She is survived by her husband: Elmer Loveless; two sons: Larry Loveless and wife, Jane, of Hillsboro, Missouri, and Gary Loveless of Cabool, Missouri; seven daughters: Betty Mooneyhan of Cabool, Glenda Gomez and husband, Romeiro, and Lois Gomez and husband, Hector, all of New Braunfels, Texas, Linda Dodge and husband, Marvin, of Bonney Lake, Washington, Lora Hurst and husband, Rickey, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, Margaret Stacey and husband, Ron, of Hillsboro, and Janet Thompson and husband, Greg, of New Zealand; one brother: Charles Cheney of Centralia, Washington; 32 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren who will miss her dearly.