Nora Rollins

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Nora Koury Rollins, 83, of Charleston went to be with her heavenly Father on Friday, May 7, 2010.

Rollins was born June 7, 1926, in Bernalillo, N.M., to the late Richard and Sophie Mahboub Koury. She lived in Missouri since 1963. She left her parents' home at the young age of 13 and traveled to Las Vegas to live with her eldest sister, Sadie, and attend high school. It was there that she and her sister became young restaurant entrepreneurs. Through the years, she was a successful businesswoman working in Las Vegas and San Diego. While in San Diego she met her husband and love of her life, Paul Anderson Rollins, and following his discharge from the U.S. Navy, they were married Dec. 1, 1957. He survives at home in Charleston.

She was a member of the St. Henry Catholic Church in Charleston, and worked passionately as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. She was fluent in four languages and often served as a translator for local law enforcement agencies. She also taught Spanish as a volunteer at St. Henry School. The biggest accomplishment and love of her life was her family. She was an amazing cook and seasoned the lives of many family friends with her delicious Mexican food and colorful personality.

She was the loving and devoted mother to four children and their spouses. Those surviving are: Paul Larry Rollins and his wife, Jessica, of Conroe, Texas; Sophie Dugan and her husband, Clark, of Charleston; Michelle Tandy and her husband, Paul, of Grover, Mo.; and her daughter-in-law, Judi Chapman Rollins of Cape Girardeau.

She was the proud grandmother of eight beautiful grandchildren, Rebecca, Katherine and Caroline Rollins; Emily and Hunter Dugan; Chelsea Rollins and Cooper and Tucker Tandy.

Also surviving are her sisters, Camille Schofield of San Diego, Mary Barrack and Betty Jo Stafford of Albuquerque, N.M.; and a host of nieces and nephews; also her godsons, Jimmy Olson of Las Vegas and Michael Rodriguez of Birmingham, Ala.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by a brother, five sisters and her beloved son, Robbie Rollins, who passed away Oct. 31, 2009.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston. Parish prayers and rosary will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday led by Charleston Knights of Columbus Council 3282.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m.Wednesday at St. Henry Catholic Church in Charleston. The Rev. Glenn Eftink, pastor, will serve as celebrant.

Committal services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield. Interment will follow under the direction of the McMikle Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be: Hunter Dugan, Cooper Tandy, Tucker Tandy, Clay Dugan, Randy Thompson, Richard Hutcheson, Jim Rolwing, Dr. Gregorio Rodriguez, Michael Rodriquez and Scott Dunaway.

Memorials may be made to: St. Henry Catholic School, 306 Court Street, Charleston, MO 63834; St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude's Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or the Alzheimer's Association, 9370 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132-3214.