LONNITA JUNE (SPRADLING) SHORTES

1945-2024

Lonnita June (Spradling) Shortes, 78 years, 9 months, and 8 days, passed away Thursday, September 19, 2024 in Houston, TX. Lonnita’s life will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 28, 2024 with Rev. Lon McVeigh officiating at The Living Truth Church in Madisonville, TX.

Lonnita was born on December 11, 1945 in Duncan, OK to Lonnie Clifford and Junia Corene (Fortenberry) Spradling.

She attended schools in Duncan, OK and married at the age of seventeen during her senior year of high school. From Oklahoma, she attended college at Southwestern Assembly of God College in Waxahachie, TX and while attending SAGC, she worked as a supervisor in the registrar’s office and became a mommy. This era in her life gained her many lifelong friends. From SAGC, she became a pastor’s wife and mommy again in Hays, KS and this is where her music ministry began and bloomed.

Following God’s call and ministry, she became the Director of Music in each church pastored. As if she wasn’t doing enough, she began courses at Friends University in Wichita, KS pursuing a degree in music. She became a mommy again. As her music ministry flourished, so did her home and fostering children soon began. Lonnita’s gift as a pianist was nothing less than magical and a God given talent. Her musical abilities didn’t stop at the piano. Her musical productions, cantatas, and Sunday morning choirs were just as blessed. After moving to Houston, she began teaching the students at Aldine Christian School and continued teaching piano lessons and did so for many years.

Although Lonnita left the ministry, she never quit playing the piano for the Lord. She started the piano at the age of five years. She continued the family’s legacy of ministry. She resumed teaching students at Southern Bible College in Houston, TX and led a Home Group of ladies while attending Lakewood Church.

Some of her fun and crazy hobbies included canning fruits and vegetables, twisting and turning extravagant macrame, gardening, and as her granddaughters remember, creating gift baskets for Mary Kay.

Lonnita was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Bobby Dewayne Spradling.

She is survived by her children, Leah Leilani McVeigh, Lonnie “Clif” Clifford McVeigh II, Heather Laurell Arcolas and foster daughter Jeana Quintero with husband Jose Quintero; her grandchildren, Alexis Taylor Simone Salinas with husband Sergio Salinas, Laurell Elizabeth Stibora with husband Ryan Stibora, Jadyn Kensley Liccioni, Courtney Faith Botello, Heidi Cherie Faldik, and Peyton Shelby Faldik; her great grandchildren, Michael “Mickey” Roy Mould II and Zeplyn Fae Salinas and those not named; the father of her children, Lon McVeigh; her siblings, Harold Don Spradling and Carol Sue Simms; her nieces and nephews, Scott Boyd with wife Eva Jean Boyd, Rondel Boyd, Susan Sparks with husband Paul Sparks, and Lisa Pike and their children and grandchildren, Cameron Spradling with wife Kellie Spradling, Chris Spradling, Michelle Sprague, Jill Guillen, and Gina Spradling and their children and grandchildren.

Lonnita’s family greatly appreciates MTM Personal Care for their angelic care of our mom in her last days and Day Funeral Home for their compassionate guidance.