Lois Ann Key

Lois Key grew up in a small town near Lone Pine called Owenyo in the high desert surrounded by majestic mountains. As a child she played near the train yard where her father ran the Southern Pacific railroad station and her mother owned and ran the bread and breakfast and post office.

She was an adventurer, roaming the surrounding mountains, often alone, fishing, camping, and as a teenager, climbing to the top of Mt. Whitney with her back pack, 2 friends and a dog.

After high school she went to San Francisco and Fresno to attend nursing school. While in San Francisco she met her eternal companion, Francis Scott Key and they were married after he was discharged from the Navy.

They moved to Kentucky where Francis was from; however, after about 6 years they moved back to southern California with 3 kids in tow to take care of Lois’s mother. Two more children were added to her busy life in California.

Lois practiced nursing throughout her adult life, working as a surgical nurse as she continued to work on advancing her nursing degree.

Lois was involved in all of her children’s activities, having served in the PTA, was a Boy Scout leader, a girl scout leader, a Brownie leader and a cheerleader.

Lois lived life to the fullest. She and Francis spent a year traveling around the country in a motor home visiting family, places and gathering family history along the way.

Genealogy was a love of hers and she left her family with a treasured legacy of stories, pictures, documents and family lineage.

Lois is survived by her son Gary, daughters Barbara, Debi and Judi. She has 9 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren with 2 on the way.

Lois will be sorely missed as she was loved and admired by many through her nearly 100 years of service.