Captola F. Long, 90, of Effingham Illinois, passed away peacefully on November 30, 2025, at Willowbrook Memory Care of Effingham.
Services will be held on Thursday, December 4th, at 11:00 am at Bauer Funeral Home with Rev. Craig Rutherford officiating. Burial will follow at Union Cemetery in Altamont, Illinois. Visitation will be held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at Bauer Funeral Home in Effingham. Memorials may be made to the Cross at The Crossroads: P.O. Box 218 Effingham, Illinois 62401.
Captola was born November 11, 1935, in St. Louis, Oklahoma to Finis R. and Edna Mae Burnham. She was married to Merlin R Long on June 1, 1956, in First Christian Church Seminole, Oklahoma.
Captola was a member of First Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ) Tyler, Texas for over 40 years, where she served as Deacon, Elder, Elder Emeritus, a member of the Disciples Women’s Ministries and Believers Sunday School Class and Bible Study. A member of “Generation Great” lunch group and worked at the annual Thanksgiving Bazaar where her pies were hugely popular.
Captola was preceded in death by both her parents, the love of her life, husband, Merlin, her sister, Mary Jo Ann Arthur and husband Paul Wayne Arthur of Longview,Texas, her nephew Dale Wayne Arthur of Longview, Texas.
She is survived by her loving family including Daughter Cynthia Overbeck of Effingham and husband Ron, Daughter Carrie Rutherford of Terrell, Texas and husband Craig, Daughter Connie Long of Old Hickory, Tennessee, Granddaughter Stephanie Kaufmann and husband Scott of Effingham, Granddaughter Kaci Overbeck of Effingham, and Grandson Conner Rutherford of Terrell, Texas, and Niece Beth Haselhorst of Hays, Kansas
Captola was born into the rugged life of the Oil fields of central Oklahoma during the boom of the 1930’s. Her father worked for what was then called “Carter Oil” and his family lived in one of the many “Oil towns” that the company ran. Captola was the first child born into this growing family and she grew up among the many family members who worked in the oil fields. She would be blessed by the arrival of her baby sister, Jo. She attended school and graduated from Seminole High School in Seminole, Oklahoma.
Captola, as her family and friends would call her, was a lifelong Christian and she and her family became members of First Christian Church in Seminole. It was at one of the many youth functions that she would meet and marry the love of her life, Merlin Long.
The young couple would attend Oklahoma A & M, later known as Oklahoma State University. Merlin would be offered a job with what is now known as Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation in the chemical department. This advancement in life would have profound changes to the young couple as they would be transferred several times over their lives. The couple would find themselves in such places as: Casper, Wyoming, where their first daughter was born, Altamont Illinois, where their second daughter was born in nearby Vandalia, Illinois, Henderson, Kentucky, where their third daughter was born, Effingham, Illinois, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and finally Tyler, Texas where they finally retire. It was joked that in all their moves, they just keep dropping daughter off along with way as one daughter married in Effingham, one daughter in Oklahoma City and the third moved to Atlanta, Georgia.
Along the way, Captola helped the family out by working as a Librarian, Church secretary, receptionist for Dr. Chalstrom in Effingham, and later would retire while working as theSecretary to the President with the University of Texas at Tyler.
Captola loved to play Bridge and Mah Jong and would host many evenings with other couples enjoying fellowship and the competition. She loved Art History and audited many classes at UT Tyler. She cherished every moment spent with her children and later her grandchildren.
The family would like to extend their humble thanks to the staff at Willowbrook Memory Care and HSHS Hospice for the unconditional care for our Mother.
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