M. Lou Ayers

M. Lou Ayers October 15, 1927 - September 10, 2013 Lou Ayers of Waco passed away Tuesday, September 10, 2013. Lou Ayers was born, Mamie Lou McCollam, in Dallas, Texas. She was living in Greenville, Texas with her parents when she started public school. Lou was the 4th generation living in Greenville. WWII was the "news of the day" when Lou graduated from Greenville High School. On September 6th, 1949 she married Paul J. Ayers at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Greenville, Texas. They remained happily married for 64 years. In her first semester at TAMU, Commerce, she found that the U.S. Government would train Cadet Nurses Lou accepted the offer. Three years later she graduated from Dallas Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, received two years of college credit from Southern Methodist University, and was certified as a Registered Nurse by the State of Texas. After several years of employment in nursing and nursing supervision by several types of government owned hospitals, a corporate hospital owned by Phillips Petroleum Company, and doctor owned clinics, Lou decided to complete work on her Bachelor of Science degree. She received the degree from University of North Texas, Denton, Texas. Lou began her teaching career by teaching grade four in the Borger I.S.D., Borger, Texas. Most of Lou's teaching experience was in Austin. The last fourteen years of the Austin teaching experience was as a homebound/hospital teacher of grades 1-12. To keep her nursing skills active, she worked for the American Red Cross. She also worked summers as a surgical and intensive care nurse at St. David's Hospital, Austin. In 1982, Lou's husband transferred with his company from Austin to Dallas. She accepted employment with the Grapevine I.S.D. as school nurse at Grapevine Senior High School. She had just received the Master of Arts in Human Services degree from St. Edward's University. This was an opportunity to make use of some newly acquired knowledge from this degree program. Two years later it was retirement time. For "retirement fun" Lou decided to accept Alpha State Delta Kappa Gamma Society International employment. The position was Executive Secretary/Treasurer at state headquarters in Denton, Texas, on campus at Texas Woman's University. After Paul's retirement, they have resided at Fair Oaks Ranch Bexar County and at Waco. During 50 years in Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, Lou has been a member of four chapters. As a result of serving in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, Lou is a charter member of the Women in Military Service for American Memorial Foundation. Lou is also a member of Colonial Dames of the XII Century, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Lou's interest in people sent her traveling in many other countries. Some were places such as Mongolia, The Soviet Union, The Peoples Republic of China, Cuba, The Scandinavian Countries and many others. Those surviving her are her husband of 64 years, Paul J. Ayers; son, Joe Edward Ayers and wife, Diane; grandchildren, Aaron Charles Paul Ayers and fiance, Catherine Young and Cuyler Elizabeth Ayers; brother, David McCollam and his son, David; and best friend, Dorothy King. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com. Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey