Lois L. Adkins' Obituary
Lois Lillian Adkins, of Umatilla, Fl, died peacefully and went to live with the Lord on November 7, 2018. Her family and friends were by her side at the Cornerstone Hospice Home in Tavares, Fl. She was born on February 25, 1926, in Neillsville, WI, to Otto Fredrick and Louise (Schroeder) Tramm, the youngest of five children - Carl, Margaret, Dorothy, and Eileen. Her father was a section foreman on the Soo Line in Stanberry, WI, and her mother cared for the family.
Lois went to live with her Aunt Martha’s family during the eighth grade so she could attend confirmation at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Neillsville, WI. After she was confirmed, she stayed in Neillsville for her first year of high school. Then she returned home and travelled an hour each day to high school in Spooner, WI, where she played the clarinet in the marching band. After high school graduation, she moved to Rockford, IL, to be near her older sisters.
As a young woman, Lois worked at Rockford Drop Forge Company in Rockford, IL. She had an adventuresome spirit, though, and moved to Washington D.C. to work for the government. It was there that she met her future husband who was serving in the United States Marine Corps at Quantico, VA. She was married to Ralph James Adkins on September 25, 1951, and they had three children - Margaret, Michael, and Marcia.
Lois was very involved in her children’s activities. Her primary focus was her family. She played school with them during the summer to ensure they maintained their English, spelling, and math skills. Lois was a 4-H leader for her son’s club, and supported her daughter’s participation in 4-H. She was an avid traveler and with her husband, she took her children on annual trips across the United States to visit family, friends, gardens, national parks, and historical sites.
Lois was a foster parent. She cared for numerous children of all ages, sometimes four at one time. She especially enjoyed the babies that arrived as soon as they were released from the hospital. One of her newborn babies was left at a Catholic Church in Aurora on Christmas Eve! She was the neighborhood parent that shared flowers from her garden for May Day baskets, made popsicles to share with kids on hot summer days, transported children to church on Sundays, and supervised slumber parties. On holidays, Lois and her husband welcomed servicemen from a nearby military base to their home for dinner and celebration.
Lois and Ralph were extremely active in their church communities. They planned the annual chili dinners and helped organize the mother-daughter, father-daughter, mother-son, and father-son banquets. Lois served as the President of the Ladies Aid and participated extensively in Bible study and worship groups. In addition, she played the piano at the County Nursing Home for church services and visited the elderly in nursing homes. Often times, she was accompanied by one or more of her children and grandchildren.
Lois was a hard worker and a thrifty woman. She held a number of full-time and part-time jobs while raising her children. She worked for the Elgin Watchmaker’s School in Elgin, IL, while her husband was attending school there; a coal company in Urbana, IL, next to her children’s school; and the bakery and Ideal Industries in Sycamore, IL. In addition, she typed research papers and dissertations for college students. She developed a passion for cake decorating while living in Sycamore, IL, and went into business making cakes and catering events, including weddings.
Lois loved square dancing, puzzles, playing games, gardening, baking, and cooking. She crocheted beautiful blankets and a tapestry of the Lord’s Prayer, and embroidered extraordinary pieces for her family. Lois was particularly proud of the Christmas stockings she knit for each of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and treasured seeing them every holiday season.
Lois was a loving wife, mother, sister, friend, grandmother, and great grandmother who is survived by her daughters, Margie (Dave) Anunson of Madison, WI, and Marcia (Reuben) Nelson of Sycamore, IL; son, Michael (Karen) Adkins of Marathon, FL; 9 grandchildren – Greg (Shilpa) Rasmussen, Bryan (Naree) Balli, Nicole (Joe) Wolfe, Joshua (Emily) Balli, Mark (Kristin) Anunson, Jessica Tarbox Adkins, Heather Neumann, Kimberly Adkins, and Ralph Adkins; 10 great grandchildren – Kyra Wolfe, Etienne Balli, Krista Wolfe, Hadley Kemp, Laxmi Rasmussen, Emerie Neumann, Braden Anunson, Mani Rasmussen, Madelyn Anunson, and Grant Wolfe; two sisters, Eileen Wheeler and Dorothy Beyer; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Lois will be buried next to her husband in the Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore, IL. A service will be held at Elmwood Cemetery at 901 S. Cross Street, Sycamore, IL, at 1:30 pm on November 18, 2018. Family and friends will gather at Rosita’s Mexican Restaurant at 2:30 pm to celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending donations to a memorial fund to benefit hospice and other causes Lois supported in c/o Marcia Nelson, 924 Foxpointe Drive, Sycamore IL. In addition, please share pictures, poems, and remembrances that will be compiled in a scrapbook for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
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