Lois E. Lewis

RICHMOND, Ind. – Lois E. Lewis passed away peacefully at home on Friday, September 9, 2022. She was born Lois Elvina Cramer on Friday, July 27, 1928, in Liberty, Pennsylvania, to Mary Elma (Lint) Cramer and Edgar H. Cramer, a coal miner. Her parents were both forty years of age when Lois, the youngest of four children, and the only girl, was born. During the Great Depression the family lived in several communities in Fayette County, PA., near Uniontown and Dickerson Run, including Dunbar and Redstone, suburbs of Pittsburgh. In 1943 Lois left home and moved to Republic, PA. Then, as a young married mother, she moved to Ohio and later to Indiana where her family continued to expand. Her mother, “Elma” was a great influence on her young life. Ahead of her time in activism, Lois’ mother was a leader in many organizations, including Daughters of the American Revolution, the Woman’s Suffrage Movement, and Evangelical New Franklin Lutheran Church. Lois’ mother enjoyed hosting musical concerts and social events in her home. Sadly, her mother died just before Christmas in 1936, when Lois was only eight years old. Her life had set a great example for her young daughter and placed Lois on the path to becoming a strong and resilient woman as the matriarch of the family. Lois was truly our Queen Mother. Lois raised five children, including her four birth children and beloved stepson all while working tirelessly in her thirty-year career as a healthcare provider, first at Reid Memorial Hospital, then at Richmond State Hospital. She volunteered as a room mother and enjoyed tap dancing and yodeling. In her middle years, Lois loved hosting family gatherings, volunteering at her church, and singing in the choir. She spent her golden years as a woman of great faith. One could often find her planting a tree, mowing the lawn, making her famous potato salad, or on her knees praying at her bedside. She had an infectious belly-laugh giggle that was unstoppable, and no one even knew what was funny until the laughing finally subsided. She said the longest good-byes at our cars when family members tried to pull out of the driveway, and she continued to wave as we drove down the road. In later years, as her body grew frail, she said much less and tended to go with the flow. She loved catfish, pizza, sweets and butter. Throughout her life, she had the most beautiful penmanship for which she won several awards when she was a schoolgirl. She continued to take pride in lovely handwritten letters and cards. It is her own handwritten script that designs the shared headstone of her husband and herself. She was preceded in death by her mother Mary Elma (Lint) Cramer (d. 12/16/1936); father, Edgar H. Cramer (d. 11/1968); brothers Everett Cramer (d. 4/1983), Gerald Cramer; John W. (d. 1943); her beloved husband of eighteen years, Larry F. Lewis (d. 11/1/1988); granddaughter, Hannah Moody (d/ 1989); stepson Finley M. Webster (Joe) (d. 8/31/2000) and son, Charles I. Moody, Jr. (d. 4/24/2022). Lois is now reunited with all of these and more in her heavenly home. She is survived by family members who love and celebrate her long life, including three daughters, Garnet M. Wysong and husband, Robert; Patty L. Starnes; Jolene D. Webster and husband Thomas F. Edgar; nine grandchildren, Robert (Missy) Wysong Jr.; Scott Darland; James Moody Sr.; David (Angela) Moody; Emily (Clayton) Maples Davis; William Moody; Johnny (Miranda) L. Maples; Gary Moody; Bethany J. Narvaez; fifteen great-grandchildren, and seventeen great-great grandchildren. Family, friends, and neighbors are invited to honor the life of Lois E. Lewis and support her family on Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Doan & Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond, Indiana. Burial will follow in Earlham Cemetery next to her beloved husband, Larry F. Lewis. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com.

Lois E. Lewis

July 27, 1928 - September 9, 2022