Lois D. Scheuer—beloved, hilarious, tiny but spicy lady—passed peacefully from this life to the next on Feb. 2, 2025, in Stevensville. Lois was born at home to Frances and Lester Brown on Sept. 8, 1933 in Baroda, Michigan. So began a long life full of love, laughter and fun, with emphasis on the fun.
In her youth, Lois already had an adventurous spirit, evidenced by her love of flying with her dad in his small airplane. Her driver’s ed teacher signed her yearbook with just two words: SLOW DOWN! She never did, though.
After graduating from Benton Harbor High School in 1951, Lois began a career as a telephone operator for Michigan Bell, where she made many friends who enjoyed riding around and taking whirlwind road trips with her in her prized 1957 Ford Skyliner retractable convertible. She and her pals enjoyed many carefree summer days hanging out at Silver Beach.
In 1959, Lois met a handsome Austrian immigrant, John, who was happily culture shocked by her sassy ways, and in 1960 they were married. The four children they raised together were Lois’ pride and joy, and her professed favorite job. Lois adored being a mom, constantly showering her kids with love, excessive praise, whimsical 3-D birthday cakes resembling anything they wanted, and many, many board games. There were pets—lots of them. Lois was an animal lover with a huge heart for all creatures. She also enjoyed music of any genre – she was the cool mom who readily listened to current music her kids liked, while also introducing them to old songs of her generation. She had an amazing ear for piano, and could play ragtime music as well as nearly any song requested, all by ear.
She knew everybody, and she loved her kids’ friends as her own, thus our small house was a revolving door of activity, teenagers and chaos, which Lois jubilantly captured on literally thousands of rolls of film. She was present for everything. While raising the kids, she continued to do paid work from home, for Arbitron Research, Mary Kay, the Herald-Palladium, and finally, Coloma Public Schools, from which she retired in 2007.
Lois filled our home with laughter, craziness, love, baked goods, many friends, Mad Libs, garage sale treasures and a fair amount of colorful language. Her energy and sense of fun translated effortlessly when she became a grandma, her other favorite job. She rarely missed anything the grands were doing, again documenting it all with pictures, but at least they were digital.
She enjoyed simple pleasures like watching trains, driving, feeding birds, funny stories, and being with people. Lois was a happy person, content with all she’d been given, and even toward the end she would repeatedly say, to anyone in earshot, “I’ve had the BEST life!” She was an exuberant, funny, spirited little firecracker who will be sorely missed, until we meet again.
Lois was predeceased by her parents; her husband, John Scheuer; siblings Jack (Lee) Brown, Jerry (Dorothy) Brown, Lester Brown Jr., Mark Brown, and Marylynn (Harold) Rock.
She is survived by her sister Shirley Rukes; children, David (Heather) Scheuer, Julie (Dan) Smith, Linda (Jim) Goering, and Marina (Wes) McCreary; eleven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren with a fourth on the way; many nieces and nephews; and dear friend since kindergarten, Nancy Whisenant.
Arrangements are being handled by Duffield and Pastrick Funeral Home in Coloma. A combined service for Lois and John is being planned for late April, with details published at that time.
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