Lois A. Konchal Putman

Lois Amelia Putman was born on July 17, 1929 at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was the daughter of Louis and Frances Konchal. When Frances passed away Wilma, Frances’s sister, married Louis and became her step mother. She was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual which were traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Lois was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. Lois, even as a child, had a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others. She took pleasure and truly enjoyed being with her family. It seemed as if Lois was the catalyst who was always working to keep family first and foremost. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Lois had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Lois was raised with three siblings. She had two younger brothers, Jerry and Greg and one younger sister Mary Claire. Lois was constantly involved in activities with her family. Lois and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Growing up, Lois was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, she was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything she did as a child, Lois was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around her. Lois took part in a number of activities as a child. In her spare time she liked to read, sing and assist with church activities with her stepmother Wilma. Lois' memorable achievements included excellence in math, choir and spelling.

Lois enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Lois was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Lois was thorough and accurate in her work. All of these talents together contributed to the success in her high school education as she graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1946. Lois enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. One of her favorite teachers would tell her “Patience is a Virtue”. That teacher and saying made a great impact on Lois’ life. Patience is a virtue is a saying that she lived by. Her favorite classes in high school were english, math and choir. She will be remembered for her quick and witty sense of humor, her beautiful smile and her exceptional soprano voice which gained recognition by a private voice coach.

Most folks would say that Lois was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. She based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Lois trusted those people she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Lois kept. While growing up, some of her best friends were Marilyn, Phyllis, Jim, Fritz and Lenore. Later in life, she became friends with Maude, Gladys D., Cecile, Mary, Pat, Helen, Laura, Gladys F., Erma, and “Grandma Jo”.

Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Lois. On August 30, 1946 Lois married Leaman Roy Putman at St. Mary's Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was as if Lois naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Lois disliked conflict, she did not give up on a disagreement, but rather sought to work as a couple even during the most trying times.

Lois was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values. Most of the time, she handled typical family conflicts with love that was unconditional. Because she trusted emotions, Lois was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to impress those around her with sense of warmth and caring. Lois and Lee were blessed with seven beautiful daughters: Linda Lee, Frances Marie, Mary Claire, Dorothy Ann, Carla Louise, Amelia Jean and Theresa Lynn. They were also blessed with twelve grandchildren: James, Sean, Richard, Scott, Neil, Ryan, Salina, Sara, Whitney, Donald, Benjamin and Jonathon and eight great grandchildren: Tylor, Jimmy, Courtney, Austin, Toby, Devin, McKenna and Payton. All of her daughter’s spouses, Michael, Douglas, Donald and Thomas plus her grand children’s spouses, Tera, Mindy, and Jenn, were enveloped into the family and loved. Each was special and unique to her and all received a call on their birthday to her beautiful voice singing happy birthday. Lois was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Lois was the hub of family activities and information. Through her the family stayed connected.

If you gave Lois a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Lois was always on task. Without hesitation, Lois could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupations were a weaver at Sackner Products and a unit secretary/unit assistant at Butterworth Hospital. She was employed for 16 years at Sackner Products and 14 years at Butterworth Hospital. During that time, Lois excelled in working to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Lois was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Lois had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all involved.

Lois liked to experience things first hand in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Lois's choice of leisure time activities. Some of her favorite pastimes were cooking with Lee, singing, sewing, gardening and organizing family activities. She enjoyed good movies and there were also times that Lois was content to sit quietly alone just reading a good book.

Due to her excellent organizational skills, Lois was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Lois could bring established, successful methods to the table for discussion, along with a generous helping of common sense. Lois was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. In high school, Lois was a member of the accapela choir which was an honor choir. Throughout her later years, Lois was an active member of the St. Mary's Choir, volunteered for the March of Dimes, Easter Seals and American Cancer Society, Girls Scouts and Juniorettes.

Lois was active in the community. She was practical and grounded and based her decisions on firsthand experience. She was responsible and liked working to achieve results rather than just chattering about possibilities. Lois was a member of several community groups, serving on committees for St. Mary's School and Church and also for St. Jude's Church.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Lois. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy with respect to others were evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member of St. Mary's Church for 43 years and a member of St. Jude's Church for 38 years. During that time, she was a member of the choir at St Mary's and a member of the prayer line at St. Jude's.

Doing things to help others seemed to come naturally to Lois. She never set out to gain individual recognition, but the praise and accolades given to her throughout her life were well deserved. One of her most significant awards included earning recognitions as an outstanding employee at Butterworth Hospital.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Lois also enjoyed watching different sporting events. It was in this way she was something of a sports fan. Tops on her list were competitive ice skating, watching her daughters’ dance, cheer at games and skate. She also enjoyed watching her grandchildren and great grandchildren participate in many different activities like sports, dance, cheer and other events. Lois always delighted in any activities that encouraged art, music and singing. It made her proud when her children, grandchildren or great grandchildren sang in any event or played a musical instrument. Any picture made was proudly displayed in her home.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Lois had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included Niagara Falls, Sunday afternoon car rides, boating with friends and family vacations in Michigan Upper Peninsula.

Holiday time was very important to Lee and Lois. Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas were especially important as these were times to instill the value of family tradition. These traditions will continue on. Lois would work for weeks for each of these celebrations. Easter and Christmas menus always included ham, scalloped potatoes, kielbasa, hors d’oeuvres and desserts providing an unforgettable feast.

Easter was not only a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, but also a time of great joy and celebration with her family. The annual Easter egg hunt included 100s of eggs providing excitement for the kids as well as fun for her.

Halloween was a time both Lee and Lois could celebrate their love for a bon fire so the family could roast hot dogs, marshmallows and make a smore or two. Chili and meat dip were always provided as well as pumpkin donuts, apple cider and lots of candy. The family would sing songs like “Bicycle Built for Two ”,“ Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and others around the campfire. Lee and Lois would sit by the fire even hours after the family left.

Thanksgiving was a holiday that gave Lois a time to show her cooking talents. The tender bird was always accompanied by the traditional dressing, cranberries and glorious pies. This gave us time to give thanks for all of our blessings throughout the year.

The family Christmas celebration included the wonderful meal, the festivities of Santa Claus and the birth of Jesus Christ. Her family teased her about the posted agenda to keep them on schedule. The festivities of Santa Claus included reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, traditional gift giving and accordion accompanied Christmas caroling. Lois held the birth of Jesus Christ dear and her family held the same belief. Traditionally Lois would solo “O Holy Night”. Thereafter, the biblical reading of St. Luke, Chapter Two, The Birth of Jesus was read and the grandchildren and great grandchildren would commemorate the birth of Christ by placing the Nativity figures onto the mantel while singing “Silent Night”.

Lois had several pets throughout the years. Her family was rounded out by her cat Topper, Lucy the bird and her dogs Moochie, Amber and Tiffany. Lois was as loyal to her pets as they were to her. They were beloved family additions.

When Lois's retirement finally arrived in 1990, she was well prepared. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. Grand Rapids area is where Lois chose to stay in order to be close to her family. In retirement, she found pleasure in the prayer line of St. Jude’s, helping in her children and grandchildren’s classrooms and making blankets by hand for the babies in neonatal. Her devout faith and participation in the prayer line made a difference in so many lives. With every blanket she had made she said a prayer to bless and guide this infant’s life. The neonatal nurses would say “call Lois” when a critical admission needed prayer. These nurses knew Lois’ prayers could provide strength for all involved. Many rosaries were said daily for her immediate family as well as for the individuals requesting prayer through the prayer line. The Divine Mercy Prayer, which aired every day on EWTN at 3pm, became a necessary part of Lois’ day. No matter where she was this prayer could not be missed. Through faith Lois inspired and mentored her family and friends.

Lois passed away after a brave battle with Alzheimer’s disease on September 28, 2010 at Faith Hospice at Trillium Woods in Byron Center, Michigan. She is survived by children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and siblings. Services were held at St. Jude Catholic Church. Lois was laid to rest at Floral View Cemetery in Grandville, Michigan.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Lois was able to focus on each individual person, tending to their needs, thus making that person stronger as a whole. Lois was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone is drawn. Lois’ family feels fortunate and blessed to have had her in their lives. With the strength of an oak tree she provided a solid foundation to mold and guide each individual. Each individual in Lois’ life was important to her for who they were. It is with unconditional love that Lois lived her life.

Hers was a life well lived; well done good and faithful servant.

As she would say, “May God Bless you, protect you and keep you safe all the days of your life”.