Lois Kreider
1924 - 2019
Obituary
Lois Lydia Sommer Kreider was born Feb.
8, 1924, at home in Pekin, Illinois, and died Jan. 31, 2019, at home
in North Newton. She graduated valedictorian of Pekin High School in
1940 and from Bluffton College in 1945 with a degree in home
economics.
She and Robert Kreider married at
Bethel Mennonite Church of Pekin on Dec. 30, 1945. She completed a
master's in textiles at Columbia University in 1946, then volunteered
with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Pennsylvania, the
Netherlands, Kiel, Germany, and Berlin. In their final year in
Europe, she managed the MCC Guest House in Basel, Switzerland.
In 1949, they moved to Chicago and in
1952 to Bluffton Ohio, where Robert taught at Bluffton College. Lois
hosted college groups and visiting guests. She volunteered for Girl
Scouts and for her church, First Mennonite of Bluffton.In the 1960s
Lois began yearly sales of SelfHelp international handcrafts- now Ten
Thousand Villages - from Edna Ruth Byler to provide livable wages for
women. She led efforts to start a thrift/handcraft store in Bluffton;
the Et Cetera Shop opened in 1974 with Lois as manager. In 1976,
having moved to Newton, she helped open another Et Cetera Shop,
managing it through 1990. She led workshops and edited a newsletter
for Ten Thousand Villages stores. She traveled internationally for
MCC, visiting artisans.
In retirement, Lois led a recycled rug
weaving project at the Newton Et Cetera Shop. She enjoyed music,
books, gardening, travel, Scrabble and delighted in assisting after
the births of each grandchild. She was an active member of Faith
Mennonite of Newton.
Preceding her in death were her
parents, Norah (Lambert) and Oscar Julius Sommer; infant daughter
Ruth Marie; brother, Ted Sommer; and husband. Robert Kreider.
Survivors include brother, John Sommer;
Ted's wife, Josephine Sommer; children: Esther (William) Eash, Joan
Kreider, Karen (Stephen) Kreider Yoder, David (Heidi Regier) Kreider
and Ruth Kreider; grandchildren: Rachel (Peter) Eash-Scott, James
(Allison) Eash, Madeline, Greta (Kevin Robinson) and Noah Kreider
Carlson, Luke, Isaac and Levi Yoder, Ben (Alli) and Mark Kreider, and
Matthew, Norah and Johannes Kreider; and great-grandchildren, Daniel
and John Eash-Scott.
Memorial gifts preferred to MCC or
Bluffton University may be sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home,
120 E. Broadway, Newton, KS 67114.
Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Monday
(Feb. 18, 2019) and services at 11 a.m. Tuesday (Feb. 19, 2019), both
at Faith Mennonite Church, Newton.
Condolences may be left at
www.broadwaycolonialfh.com.
Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial
Funeral Home, Newton.
