Lois Jean Webber

Lois Jean Showalter was born in her home in Dayton, Ohio on November 17, 1927. When her 9 year old brother Leroy came home from school that day and saw the new addition to the family, he said “If you had to get a baby, why did you get a girl?” Leroy was a teaser as well as a teacher who would, on the one hand, occasionally scare Lois with threats of giving her to the “rag man”, but who also provided hours of fun for her when he took her fishing, pulled her on a sled down their snow-packed street, taught her to row a canoe, and even took her for rides on his motorcycle when she was in high school. Lois’s two brothers provided a good balance between teasing and encouragement. Ralph, who was 14 years older than Lois, was the nurturing brother who included her quite often in his personal life. He introduced her to bike riding and horseback riding and even took her along on a few dates when he was courting Reva, his wife to be. He was the one who provided the car for the honeymoon when Lois and Neal got married. Lois’s first trip to church was when she was in first grade and Ralph took her with him to his Methodist Sunday School class. Probably Ralph’s greatest contribution was when he arranged to have Lois take piano lessons from his piano teacher who charged 25 cents for an hour’s lesson. Lois had such a natural talent for playing both the piano and organ that it later became part of her identity. People knew her as “Lois, the one who plays the organ so beautifully!” Soon after Lois’s first Sunday School visit, her mother was invited to an Alliance Church where she committed her life to Christ. From then on Vesta Showalter took Lois and Leroy to every service. Since they had no car they had to either ride the street car or walk the 4 or 5 miles to church. One Sunday night Lois’s mother put the wrong coin in the offering and when they got to the street car they realized they would have to walk home. Lois remembers her mom carrying her part way where there was a steep hill. Whenever missionaries or evangelists came to the Burns Ave CMA Church, Mrs. Showalter would offer to keep one of them in their home. So every year they would have a missionary guest stay with them for one week during the 2-week Missionary Convention and Evangelistic Services. One year It was during a missionary emphasis week that Lois went forward and committed herself for missionary service. Lois’s dad was always very quiet and shy and did not choose to go to church with the rest of the family. Instead he loved to sit at home and listen to church programs. He also loved to listen to classical music and then on Sunday enjoy the organ concerts by E. Power Biggs. Lois had many fond memories of times spent with her father. As a child she loved sitting with him in the evenings on the front porch swing. Her father had many miles to walk each day to and from work and Lois was very familiar with his normal schedule. Just a little before he would arrive home, she would run down 2 blocks to meet him and walk the rest of the way back home with him. When the Great Depression hit, Lois’s father, Russell Showalter, lost his job and as a result the family had to move from their nice home on Phillip’s Ave. to a home across from the Miami Valley Hospital. Many were suffering in those days and Lois’s mom was always prepared to feed those who were homeless when they came asking for food at the back door. The good part about that move was that the house was much closer to the CMA church and so Mrs. Showalter took advantage of that by going door to door in the neighborhood looking for children to invite to walk with them to Sunday School. In addition to her immediate family, Lois had a “soulmate” in her cousin Vera Jean Helmboldt. They were born 1 month apart, had their baby pictures taken together, and during kindergarten actually lived in the same house when Vera and her mom moved in with the Showalters for about a year. When Lois was 13 years old the Burns Ave Church got an organ but there was no one that could play it. The pastor suggested that Lois take lessons. So every week Vesta Showalter would take Lois to a church in town where she could practice the organ. It was a long trip each way since they had to take a streetcar into town and then transfer to a bus to get them to the church. When Lois was 14 she became the church organist and from then on she continued playing the organ whenever there was a need or opportunity. It was during her first year as church organist that one of Lois’s best friends, Mary Jane Wills, let her know that Neal Webber wanted to have a date with her. Neal Webber was good looking, hard working, friendly, outgoing, and a star athlete at his school. There first date was when Lois was in 10th grade and since she was very quiet and shy like her father it is little wonder that she would say when recalling those days “I couldn’t believe Neal Webber wanted to go out with me!” And so it was that Lois began to get to know her second “soulmate”. Neither Lois nor Neal ever dated anyone else. Not only was Lois talented musically, she was also an excellent typist. During high school she worked as a secretary at NCR in Dayton and many years later was the secretary in the Geology Department at Wheaton College in Illinois. She was good in business math and was an excellent cook and seamstress. After high school, Lois attended Nyack Missionary Training Institute with Neal, and they were married during their second year of college. Following college, Neal and Lois were chosen to be sent to Thailand as missionaries, preceded by a 2 year pastorate in Birmingham, AL to prepare them for ministry and leadership. Barbara and Jim were born during this time. In 1952 the family of four traveled across the Pacific Ocean by freighter to Thailand. During that 83 day boat trip their hearts were full of anticipation and great expectations as they moved closer to the land and its people that would forever be an important part of their lives. Peggy and Tom were born during their first term of 5 years on the field. Ron was born during their second term. Except for helping when possible with work being done by missionaries who were already stationed in Korat, Neal and Lois spent most of the first two years learning to speak,read, and write Thai. Both of them had excellent language skills and it didn’t take long for them to begin using their new language to communicate the good news about Christ that they had came in love to proclaim. Neal and Lois worked many hours together in taping Thai Christian radio programs that were broadcast from Manila in the Philippines. Lois played the organ, Adjarn Sook, a talented Thai pastor, sang and preached, and Neal did the taping and editing of the recordings before they were sent to the Far East Broadcasting Company. In response to the programs, mail was received from all over Asia including remote areas in China and Burma. In reply Neal would send letters which included answers to questions as well as written material and encouragement. During the years after the Webber family returned to the United States in 1968, Lois continued to minister in music at each church she attended. She served as organist at Lombard Bible Church, Neighborhood Alliance Church, and Sweetwater Baptist Church. In 1987 Neal and Lois had an unexpected opportunity to return to Thailand after Neal retired from the pastorate. They were asked to teach at the Bangkok Bible College for two years. During this two year period they had the opportunity to see some of the fruit of their earlier years of ministry there in Thailand. Some of those that they had led to Christ and discipled had established churches and were now planting other churches in northeast Thailand. It was a blessing that God gave to them to see first hand how the group of believers they had left behind had multiplied and were now strong servants of the Savior. After a number of years back at home in the States when it became obvious that Neal was slowly losing his ability to remember, reason, and function as before, Neal and Lois moved into an assisted living facility. Neal lived there with Lois for 6 months before he needed total care and was moved to a nursing home. Lois loved her apartment at Horizon Bay and always seemed happy when she returned after a trip or outing with the family. For the next 5 years she continued to live there, savoring meals with friends, taking advantage of special activities, and enjoying regular visits with family and friends. She continued to visit Neal at the nursing home whenever possible until he died on April 22, 2016. During the last 5 months of her life, Lois herself enjoyed the total care that she needed at a nursing facility. Lois never wavered in her love for, care of, and loyalty to her extended family. Every grandchild and most of her great grandchildren have wonderful memories of eating at Grandma’s table, or playing games with her, or hearing her play the piano and lead the family in singing hymns or Christmas songs. Without hesitation her 5 children “rise up and give her honor”. In their estimation, if there ever was a woman who exemplified the one described in Proverbs 31, it was their mom, Lois Webber.