She was called Grammy, whether you were actually one of her grandchildren or not. She was known as “Grammy” or GG to her flock. She was born Helen Lois Schmidt on May 3, 1930 to Lucille and Andrew Schmidt. Lois and her older siblings, Lee and Gladys, were raised on a dry-land farm in Eastern Colorado during the Great Depression. The family worked very hard to make a life and, as Devout Christians, attended church weekly. Lucille taught Lois how to play the piano and sing hymns in church, a passion and skill cherished to the end of her days. Numerous photos of the kids in their Sunday best are seen carrying their Bibles to church.
After Lois graduated from Holyoke High School in 1947, she went to secretarial school in Denver. She then went to work for Jeppesen Pilot Services, the company that make maps for pilots. She next went to work for United Airlines as a secretary where she met Ken Steele. They married and had three children – Allen, Gail and Kay. Ken and Lois were active in residential real estate in the Denver area as their family grew.
Ken and Lois divorced in 1960 and Lois started work as the secretary to the Comptroller of the Brown Palace Hotel. While navigating her role as a single parent, Lois relied on her neighbors, Imogene and Victor Dick, to help her care for her children. When Imogene suddenly fell ill and passed away, the two single parents worked together to care for their collective family. In July 1969, the two married and built an enduring family bond for their six children, Lynda, Vicki, Laurie, Allen, Gail and Kay. Vic passed away in 1987 and Lois continued as matriarch of a growing brood of grand-children and great-grandchildren.
Lois will be remembered by those who knew her as “Grammy”, a role that brought her tremendous pride and satisfaction. She loved doing girly things with her granddaughters and making gentleman out of her grandsons. Her determination and tenacity in the face of hardship was complimented by her sense of humor and her unfailing love of family. Her parents instilled in her a strong work ethic, attention to detail and a loving and giving nature.
Lois is survived by her children - Lynda Kelling (and Tim), Allen Steele (and Carole), Gail Freeman (and Gene, and Kay Fisher,11 grandchildren and a growing number of great grandchildren.
Memorial services for Lois will be postponed until the COVID19 pandemic ceases to be a threat. Your thoughts and prayers are deeply appreciated by the family and will be amplified and sent forward to everyone we encounter. Our memories of Lois and her kin are indelibly imprinted in our souls.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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