Obituary of Ramona Walls

Ramona Carol Walls, age 85, a longtime resident of Oxford, died Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at her home with her family by her side.

Funeral services will be held at 1 pm Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Oxford United Methodist Church where a time of visitation will be held from 11 am until services on Saturday.  Burial will be at the Oxford Cemetery followed by a reception at the church.  A memorial fund has been established in her memory to support causes important to her. 

Ramona Walls was born June 2, 1939 in Waterloo, Iowa, daughter of Clarence (Val) and Virginia Heller.  During Mona’s early years of education, she attended Emmanual Lutheran, before graduating from Waterloo East in 1958.

During Mona’s childhood in Waterloo, there was a period of time Mona lived with her cousins Nancy and Marlene with their grandmother while their fathers served in World War II.  Mona and her cousins remained close their entire life no matter the miles between them.  Mona said her cousins were like sisters.

In 1959 Mona married Elmer “Bill” Walls at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.  Mona met Bill while he was in barber school and she worked across the street at Bishops Restaurant.  Mona and Bill moved several times before settling down in Oxford, Iowa to open a barber shop and be closer to the U of I Hospitals for Bill’s medical needs.

Mona worked at the Lark Supper Club for six years before starting at NCS Pearsons.  Mona retired from Pearsons after 34 years.  Mona rarely missed work and was known to work from 3 am to 3 pm racking up a thousand hours of overtime.

While living in Oxford, Mona and Bill raised 4 children; Rodney, Bill, Jeff and Wendy.  Mona said one of the best things about living in a small town was if her kid got in trouble or was doing something they weren’t supposed to, it took about an hour for someone in town to tell her.

Throughout Mona’s life, she was an incredible caregiver.  Her favorite holiday was Christmas and Mona absolutely loved a big Christmas.  Mona just loved being with family.  The grandchildren and great grandchildren loved their own individual relationship with Grandma Mona.  It was amazing to watch how she connected with all of them.

Mona spent countless hours watching her children and grandchildren’s sporting events.  There was a time when Mona loved to go gambling.  She loved it when the slot machines would give out coins and not a ticket.

Mona spent countless hours crocheting blankets, enough for everyone in the family.

Mona will be missed for her love, laughter and sense of humor and sassiness.  You dare not trip, fall or wipeout in front of Mona if you didn’t think she wasn’t going to laugh and laugh, then laugh some more.

Her family includes Rodney (Tina) Walls, Bill Walls Jr., Jeff (Chris) Walls, Wendy Bohannon of California; 11 grandchildren; Anthony ( Brooke) Walls, Savanna (Pedro) Florimon, Melissa (Jonathan) Lopez, Brittany (Casey Muller), Alissa, Tyler, Tara (Brian) Steffensmeier, Trever (Emily Klimes), Zachery (Cheyenne Haugland), Taylor & Madison; 14 great grandchildren; Cooper, Caroline, Elodie, Auden, Penny, Elliott, Sophia, Maeson, Caden, Weston, Lola, Evelynn, Layla and Rowyn. 

Mona was preceded in death by her parents Clarence (Val) Heller, Virginia Heller Latterman, stepfather Hartley Latterman, husband Bill, grandson Casey and brother Butch.