Lois L. Wichmann, 91, Hartley

A funeral service for Lois L. Wichmann was held Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in May City. Pastor Richard Milbrandt officiated.

Pallbearers were Tom McCarty, David Kinley, Jeff Kinley, Toby Meyer, Curt Van Engen and John Wichmann. Interment was in Harrison Township Cemetery near May City. Hartley Funeral Home assisted with the arrangements.

Lois Luretha (Fliss) Wichmann was born Nov. 17, 1931 in Milford, to Floyd and Myrtle (Case) Fliss. One of six children, she spent her youth growing up on the farm in rural Milford. She graduated from Everly High School in Everly.

Lois married the love of her life, Ralph Wichmann, on June 26, 1949 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in May City. To this union was born three daughters: Cathy, Christine and Melinda. Following their marriage they farmed together for many years near May City and raised their family there. As a farm wife, Lois excelled in cooking, baking, sewing and growing a bountiful garden. She loved flowers and consequently their yard was adorned with color throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons. She canned tons of tomatoes from her garden, as well as green beans. Lois loved to quilt and completed many fine quilts for family members to enjoy and cherish.

Throughout their lives together, Ralph and Lois lovingly cared for the Mennonite Cemetery that was located across the road from their farm. As a result they welcomed many Mennonite guests to their farmstead and traveled to Pennsylvania once to visit some of those acquaintances. In her later years Lois worked as a cook at Camp Okoboji where she provided excellent meals for the campers and staff and made many, many friends. She was a potato salad aficionado and would often offer a private critique of potato salad she ordered from a store or in a restaurant, none of which ever measured up to her own recipe.

She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in May City for many years and was an active member of the church’s Ladies Aid Society. Her love for her family and her faith were most important in her life.

Due to declining health, Lois moved to the Community Memorial Health Center Memory Care Unit on July 2, 2012. Ralph diligently visited her almost daily, greeting her each time with “Hello, beautiful!” They enjoyed meals and time together, even as her memory continued to fade; her face lit up whenever she saw him. Ralph and Lois were married just one month short of 69 years before Ralph passed away on May 25, 2018.

Lois slipped away quietly on Friday, April 14, 2023 to join Ralph in their eternal home with the Lord. She was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Myrtle Fliss; and her five siblings: Virgil Fliss, Muriel Allen, Marjorie Mertens, Verlyn Fliss and Charlotte Thorne.

Lois is survived by two daughters, their husbands and families: Chris (John) Kinley, of Ames, and Melinda (Steve) Meyer, of Walker; four grandchildren: David and Jeff Kinley and Michelle (Meyer) Schlicht and Toby Meyer; five great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law: Ruth McCarty, of Walla Walla, Wash., and Annie Fliss, of Belmond; brothers-in-law: Jim Wichmann, of Lexington, Mass., and Hap Thorne, of Everly; many nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.