Ileta Lorene (Cope) Bourland

Ileta Lorene Cope Bourland, age 99, of Coleman, died Tuesday, August 22, 2023, in Lubbock, Texas.

Family and friends are invited to a funeral service celebrating her life at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, August 26, 2023, at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, 400 W. Pecan Street, in Coleman. The family will greet friends following the funeral service.  A private interment will follow in the Coleman City Cemetery.  Services are entrusted to Stevens Funeral Home.

Ileta was a 92-year resident of Coleman born to Jacob Henry and Julia Alberta Wester Cope.  She was the sixth child of seven and graduated from Coleman High School in May of 1941.  On December 11, 1942, she married Perry Bourland, and they celebrated 49 years of happiness before his passing on January 24, 1992.  Ileta was an active member of First Baptist Church in Coleman serving 51 years as nursery director before retiring on December 31, 2013.  All the children referred to her as “Bo-Bo” as she loved, taught, and cared for them.  Ileta was also one of Coleman’s election clerks for 48 years, and served counting each vote from paper ballots orally before voting machines were invented.  She and her husband went on many trips with members of the Triple L Club and Senior Threads Club.  Ileta was employed over 11 years with Carlson Companies in the Gold Bond Stamp Center.  Ileta and her husband owned and operated the Harbord Motel for twenty-four years until closing it in 2005 and considered their efforts as real mission work.  She was a self-taught knitter graciously sharing the fruits of her talent by making receiving blankets for the babies in the nursery.  Ileta also made Afghans and Kleenex box covers to give to rest homes, family, and friends. Ileta also helped her husband in coaching Little League and Senior League Baseball for eighteen years.

Her dream came true when she was able to attend the college graduation of all four grandchildren. She had a profound love for children and even became a “neighborhood mom” to other children in the neighborhood who would gather at her home.  In retirement, her life has been enriched with memories of times spent with them.  She moved to Gorman, Texas in 2016 after breaking her hip.

Ileta is survived by one daughter, Cecelia Williams of Gorman; one son, Aaron Bourland and wife Becky of Lubbock; four loving grandchildren, Rick Williams of Gorman, Leah Powell and husband Scott of Sunnyvale, Kyle Bourland and wife Jordan of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, and Nicole Bourland of Fort Worth.  She adored her six great-grandchildren, Madison Williams, Parker Williams, Brooklyn Bourland, Payton Bourland, Oliver Bourland, and Conner Powell.

Ileta is also preceded in death by her parents; one son, Bryan Bourland on November 14, 2017; five brothers, Allen Cope, J.B Cope, Cecil Cope, Leonard Cope, and Billy Cope; one sister, Grace Mangham; and son in law, Dan Williams, who was part of the family for 59 years.

The family requests with gratitude that memorial donations in memory of Ileta be given to First Baptist Church Nursery Fund, P.O. Box 983, Coleman, Texas 76834, First Baptist Church in Gorman, 218 W. Ross, Gorman, Texas 76454, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

We invite you to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with the Bourland family by signing the virtual guest book on Ileta’s tribute page at www.stevensfuneralhome.com.  Stevens Funeral Home is honored to serve the Bourland family.