Lois Loher

Lois Lavonne Schmidt, daughter of William and Amanda (Blasing) Schmidt, was born July 12, 1930 in Grant County, Minnesota. She grew up in the Herman, Minnesota area, where she also received her education, graduating from Herman High School . On April 6, 1948, she was united in marriage to Gerald Loher at St. Charles Catholic Church in Herman. Following their marriage, the couple made their home in Morris, and their union was blessed with nine children. In 1963, they moved from town to a farm site west of Morris, where they operated their family business, Gerald Loher and Sons Excavating. Along with raising their family, Lois also worked for several years at the Ernst Shop in Morris. After retiring, Lois and Jerry moved back into Morris, where they have remained since that time.

Lois’ life had always been dedicated to caring for others. If you came to Lois’ house, you were always greeted with a hug, a smile and a “Hi Honey”, and you always left with some baked goods or canned foods and another hug for the road. Her determination to share all her blessings was evident, especially when it came to sharing God’s love with others. That is why she was known to countless children as “Grandma Lois”. She will truly be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Lois was a long-time member of Assumption Catholic Church in Morris, where she had been active in Christian Mothers, Daughters of Isabella and the St. Patrick’s Mission . She was also an active member of the Morris VFW Auxiliary and the Lois Club. Some of Lois’ favorite hobbies included cooking and baking, playing card games of any kind, going fishing with her family, watching the Twins, traveling with Jerry and simply spending time with her many family and friends.

She is survived by her husband, Gerald Loher of Morris; her children and their families: children of Audrey Perkins’ (deceased): Shannon (Jason) Wilson and their children, Carter & Brooklyn and Aimee Perkins; Debra (Ron) Bauer of St. Cloud and their daughter, Amanda Bauer; Bill (Jayne) Loher of Pine City and their children: Natalie Loher and Chris Trudeau and his children, Kealyn, Chris Jr. and Dimitri; Joanie (Craig) Murphy of Morris and their daughter, Erin Murphy; Helen (LeRoy) Hennen of Blaine and their children: Heather (Paul) Karpinski and their children, Ben, Abbey, John and Jenna, and Heidi (Jeff) Auel and their children, Avery and Inga; Tim (Darla) Loher of Morris and their daughters, Jenny (Matt Mushitz) Loher and their children, Baylee and Caden, and Meghan Loher; Jerry Jr. (Jody) Loher of Donnelly and their children: Erica (Matt) Jahner and their children, Crystal and Michael, Gerald Loher III, Andrew Loher and Jana Loher; Pat (Katie) Loher of Eagan and their children, Nick Loher, Tracy Loher and Jason Loher; and Rick (Jennifer) Loher of Detroit, MI and their children, Adam (Jenna) Harvey and their children, Noah, Austin and Annebell, Rachel Harvey, Matthew Harvey, Joshua Loher and Ryan Loher, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Audrey Perkins; her grandson, Michael Loher and her parents.

Pallbearers for the service are Lois’ sons: Bill Loher, Tim Loher, Jerry Loher Jr., Pat Loher and Rick Loher. Deb Mahoney will serve as pianist for the service, with Holly Giese serving as soloist. Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in charge of the arrangements.

The family prefers memorials to St. Mary’s School and the Steven’s County Historical Society.