Lois Mary Traynor

Lois Mary Pittman was born born on Monday, December 4, 1933, in Herndon, Kansas to Claude Lincoln Pittman and Gertrude Dell Strayer. Her given name, Mary, came from her grandmother Mary Jett Pittman. She uses Lois as her first name as this is the name preferred by her mother.

When Lois was a little girl living in Herndon, Kansas, she remembered her mother going with her to the outside privy at night. One time when a dust storm was coming, she went into the basement of a nearby home; in the basement were wooden grave liners. The house was the home of the town undertaker In 1940 her parents moved to Eugene Oregon, and this is where she spent her youth. Lois worked in the fields during summer break picking strawberries and beans to purchase her school clothes. She took part in the Oregon State 100-year centennial in Eugene. During her junior high years, she was a Pythian Sunshine girl which was part of the Knights of Pythias. She attended Herndon grade school, Santa Clara grade school, Colin Kelly Jr. High, and graduated from University High School. At University High, Lois was active in various clubs; Uni Hi-Lights, Pep Club, Scarlet Masque, Paletteers and G.A.A. After Uni, Lois continued her education at Eugene Business School.

She married her high school sweetheart Dwayne Dennis Traynor (Skip) and moved to Renton Washington. This is where they started their family. In 1953, she went to work for Pacific Iron Company as a secretary and was with them for about eighteen months. Lois and Dwayne lived in Renton until 1957; from there they moved to Tukwila, Washington. It is here they made their home. After moving to Tukwila, the family attended Riverton Methodist Church, where Lois took part in teaching Sunday school. They changed churches in the mid 1960's and she then taught Sunday school at their new church, United Brethren (Burien Evangelical).

In early 1979, Lois was having a problem with walking and vision. Looking back, it appeared to have started in the late 1960's. After a fall in mid 1979 that put her in the hospital, she was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. MG is a disease of the nervous system, which there is no cure. With certain medicine, she was able to maintain a reasonable normal life.

All of their children, Kelly, Jamie, Tracy, and David, spent their youth and grew to adults in Tukwila. This same home in Tukwila is where her family would frequently congregate after church. Lois prepared dinner for the whole family on almost every Sunday until the family became too large to do it every week. Lois enjoyed having all her family and grandchildren at her home. Lois was the rock of the family and firm in her convictions. She enjoyed a good time and had fun teasing everybody!

Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Dwayne “Skip” Traynor. She is survived by her four children Kelly Harper (Patrick) of Kent, Washington, Jamie Welch (Jim) of Renton, Washington, Tracy Woodard (Richard) of Moscow, Idaho and David Traynor (Jennifer) of Tukwila, Washington; ten grandchildren, Lorraine Keating (Welch), Hannah Blackstock (Harper), Micah Welch, Sarah Smith (Harper), Emma Thompson (Welch), Jay Woodard, Ben Woodard, Sam Woodard, Jessa Traynor and Krista Traynor; and twelve great-grandchildren with two on the way. Lois was laid to rest at Riverton Crest Cemetery.

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