Paul Michael Holloway was born March 27, 1948, in the McPherson County General Hospital, McPherson, Kansas. He peacefully passed away in the late-night hours of October 7, 2024, reaching the age of 76.
His parents were Sherman C Holloway and Verna D Ellsworth-Lyon Holloway. He and his family lived on a farm about 2 miles to the north of Inman, Kansas, on the Inman-Conway blacktop. The family moved to Inman in the fall of 1954 and moved back to the farm in the fall of 1959. He attended Inman grade school until the middle of his 8th grade year when the family moved to Garden Grove, California, in February of 1962 and he completed his grade school education at Izaak Walton Junior High. He then attended and graduated from Garden Grove High School in 1966, Fullerton Junior College in 1969 and Cal-State University at Fullerton in September of 1970. He entered post-graduate studies and received his teacher’s certificate a year later. He taught at Loara High School in Anaheim, California, for two years. When the economy failed, he had no job and the family was having financial difficulties due to his father’s ill health after a heat stroke and subsequent brain strokes. He started work at Minute Temporary Help Services: first as an employee being sent out to various jobs and then as Office Manager in their Santa Ana office. He never forgot his experience in finding a body in the weeds next to the Bellflower Office while he was in training. It fundamentally changed his spiritual outlook on mortality and hell. He was an active member of the Garden Grove First Christian Youth Group and had many enjoyable times going with them to Gaviota Beach, Lake Arrowhead, Needles/Colorado River, Sequoia National Park and other places while he was a member.
The family had an opportunity to move back to Kansas in August of 1974 to a farm that was given to Sherman by Grandma Anna. By this time, the family consisted of two sons and two daughters, the oldest two having been married and living in California. Paul started working at the CertainTeed Pipe Plant in McPherson, Kansas in September of 1974 and was employed there until February of 2007 at which time he sought for, and found, employment at Gospel Tract and Bible Society in Moundridge, Kansas. He worked there until his retirement. He very much enjoyed the conversations with his co-workers and the communications with others done via letter, e-mails and phone conversations.
Paul had noticed people that appeared to be different in quality as well as in kind from the people with whom he associated: the peace that most had was the single-outstanding characteristic that commended itself to him. He remembered a conversation in the break-room at CertainTeed in which a Church of God in Christ Mennonite member had talked about his daughter’s upcoming wedding and how pleased he was that she was marrying a Christian man of the same faith as her. After he left the break-room, something prompted Paul to ask the others what they felt about this member’s faith and salvation. The interesting point was that they all felt that one could be saved in ‘that church’ but they didn’t feel confident in being saved in one another’s churches.
It was after that, the Lord began to lead Paul closer to the truth and His people. During his search for the truth, Paul was invited to attend services at the Zion Mennonite Church in August of 1980. He kept attending there and came under spiritual conviction of sin and finally, the Friday after Thanksgiving while attending revivals, gave his heart to the Lord and was born again. There was much learning that needed to be done, but he was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite in January of 1982. He served in many positions including Sunday School teacher, Bible Study Committee, Sunday School Superintendent, Tract Committee, School Board and so on.
Paul felt led to attend Lone Tree church and there found many more friends and his life companion, Grace Koehn. They were united in marriage on September 28, 1986. He transferred back to Zion in 1993 when the eldest child started school, as Plainview School was much closer than Sunflower School. They had four children in 6 years, so Dad and Mom were kept busy. They lived on the Holloway home place where his parents and grandparents had lived. There were always gardens, livestock, and pets around and Dad enjoyed them all. He liked to hear singing and found a particular joy in hearing his children sing at home as a group. Dad developed Type 2 diabetes in his later years but managed to persevere in spite of it. He always enjoyed reading the bible and sharing his thoughts and queries with his friends and family.
He leaves behind his wife Grace, children: Caleb and wife Kristi; Daniel and wife Rebekah; Jemima; and Micah and wife Natalie. He is survived by three granddaughters, five grandsons; three sisters, Linda Paul, Chris Pitts, Janet Dickerson and a brother, John Sherman.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister Kathy Boone.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM, Saturday, October 12, 2024, at Zion Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, Inman, KS. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM, Sunday, October 13, at Zion Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Burial will follow at Zion Church Cemetery.
Memorial donations can be made to Moundridge Manor in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.