A Tribute to Lois
“Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies.” Psalm 108:13
Last week I attended a funeral for one of my long-time neighbors. If she had lived another 30 days, she would have been 102 years old! She lived longer than anyone that I have personally known. I always think that folks who live a long time were people who honored their parents because the fifth commandment to honor our father and mother states that if we do, then we may have a long life on earth. That is not a guarantee, but God honors those who honor their parents.
Lois was quite a character. She often said that the reason that God left her on earth so long was because He didn’t want her trying to take over heaven! She was our neighborhood protestor, always looking out for anything that was not in keeping with the way things should be concerning the city’s responsibility. She wasn’t afraid to speak up when necessary to right a wrong or get something fixed that needed fixing. She, along with her daughter, monitored the creek down below our neighborhood looking for anything that could pollute the water. She had a running battle for many years with the nearby megachurch because years ago they had been buying up homes and paving parking lots in their place. She had lived here since the 1940’s and feared her neighborhood would disappear. So far, we are still here.
A funny story that she told me one time concerned one Sunday at her church. She had gone to the restroom, but she accidentally went into the men’s room unbeknownst to her. She was in a stall when she looked down and over and saw a man’s shoe in the next stall. She recognized it as her husband’s shoe. She blurted out, “Charles, what are you doing in the ladies’ room? He replied, “What are you doing in the men’s room?” She was not afraid to tell on herself if it would brighten someone’s day or make them laugh. If I had done that, I would have kept it to myself, at least for a few years!
As she grew older, her memory began to slip like almost all folks who make it to the fourth quarter of life. Her daughter would call me on the phone, and she would want to know to whom her daughter was speaking. She would tell her that it was me, and Lois would say, “Who?” as if she didn’t recognize my name. But then she would remember, and her daughter would hand her the phone. In a five-minute conversation, she would ask me three times how I was doing. She would forget that my husband was deceased and would ask how he was doing. He’s never better, considering that he is in heaven. (In case you are not aware, getting older is not for wimps! It takes a lot of courage, stamina, and hope to face old age.) She would tell me that if I heard any local news to give her a buzz, that is, call her on the phone. She and her daughter were among only a few who ever call to check on me. Then she would end the conversation with, “Well, you know the old gray mare ain’t what she used to be!”
Her 100th birthday was during the height of the COVID outbreak, and thus no indoor party was possible. Some folks got together and decided to have a parade on her street to celebrate her birthday. City officials, policemen, neighbors, and friends drove by while she sat in her front yard and waved. Having one’s own personal parade is pretty cool! In earlier years she had taught Sunday School, prepared tax returns, square danced, and kept everyone on the straight and narrow. She played the guitar, harmonica, and piano by ear. While working in my yard, her daughter and she would drive by, stop, and chat for a minute. She could no longer drive, and thus sat in the passenger seat. She looked so small and frail, and her voice was very soft likely because she had little energy left. She always had a smile. Her daughters were blessed to have her for their mom, and she was blessed to have such caring daughters. There is going to be a big void in our community now.
As King David wrote, those who do valiantly are those who depend on God. Lois depended on the Lord, loved her husband, daughters, and son-in-law, and worked toward making the world a better place. She will be missed. Rather than taking over heaven, she is resting in the beauty and peace of it all now that her work on earth is finished.
P.S. About that restroom story: who would have ever thought that it would now be OK for men and women to use the same restroom in a public building?