Lois Jean Andrews

She met her husband in 1963 when he worked for General Electric and was sent to the GE Facility in Morrison Il. A year later they were married and remained so for over 60 years. After raising their three children Mark, Paul and Kim, Lois went back to school and obtained her dental Hygienist License, a profession which she practiced for over 25 years. When her husband Steve entered the diaconate, she attended classes with him for nearly 4 years. When Steve was ordained a deacon, Lois was appointed as the parish’s first RCIA director and was responsible for forming the program. She remained in the position of RCIA director for over 25 years. In 2007 she helped form the parishes St Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Conference and was appointed as Spiritual Advisor and a Visitor and remained in those positions in a couple of conferences for 17 years. When Lois moved to North Carolina she was part of a group that formed 6 more SVdP Parish Conferences in the Raleigh Diocese.

Lois was brought up in the Christian Reformed Faith and joined the Catholic Church when she married Steve. She always loved reading the scriptures and she especially loved proclaiming them in the assembly.

She was drawn to people who were hurting or lonely. At a gathering, if she saw someone seemingly left out she would engage them. While in the hospital she would engage the staff or other patients. If they were hurting, she would ask if it would be alright if she prayed with them. One member of the nursing staff even worked extra shifts to be with Lois.

Lois loved to travel and since most of her family was spread around the US most of her trips were to visit family. She loved catching up on their lives. In 2000 she went on a 10-day river boat tour of Holland during the peak of Tulip time. Lois’s ancestry is from Holland.

She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Ellen Smith. She is survived by her husband, Steve; children Mark and his wife Jan Andrews, Paul and his wife Laurie Andrews; Kim (Andrews) Guaimano and her husband Joe; as well as grandchildren Megan, Alex, Corinne, Zackery, James and Daniel. She is also survived by her sisters Sharon, Viola, Carol, Betty and Marie.

In lieu of flowers, if you so wish, donate to the St Vincent de Paul Conference at St Francis of Assisi, to help those in need. by using the link below, under 'Donations'.

A visitation was be held at St Francis of Assisi on Thursday, February 27, at 10:00 am followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 am. Following the Mass there was a reception at Mitchell Funeral Home.

If you would like to leave a favorite memory / story of Lois, or a message of condolence for her family, you may do so below, within 'Add a Memory'.