Lois Whitlatch

LOIS ELIZABETH WHITLATCH

Tipton

Lois Elizabeth Whitlatch, 82, of Tipton, entered eternal rest Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, at Cedar Manor Nursing Home. Family and friends may gather at Fry Funeral Home, Tipton, for a time of visitation on Monday, Nov. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 10:30 a.m. at First United Church of Christ, Tipton. Interment will follow in Red Oak Cemetery.

Memorials in Lois' honor may be directed to Cedar Manor Nursing Home.

Online condolences may be shared at www.fryfuneralhome.com.

Lois was born in rural Bennett on May 23, 1934, to Leroy and Ruth (Miller) Wiese, the middle child of eight. Lois attended country schools until her father bought a school bus to transport the local children to Bennett School, where she graduated with the class of 1951. She married classmate Ron Hinrichs in 1953. Though the couple later divorced, they brought three children into the world: Cindy, Ron Jr. and Lisa. While working for the Tipton Ambulance Service, Lois met the young Chief of Police Keith Whitlatch. and they later married on Aug. 22, 1975, at Red Oak Church. Lois and Keith announced the arrival of their daughter, Valerie, during the Fourth of July parade with a sign on Keith's squad car!

Although a busy wife and working mother, Lois attended Coe College for two years on a part-time basis. Her resume was varied with positions from clerical at Bennett State Bank, Coe College, Cedar Manor, Tipton Community Schools and the Iowa Minimum Security Prison at Oakdale, to assisting with dental hygiene at the dental office of Dr. E.A. Lampe and baby-sitting for friends.

Lois briefly relocated to North Carolina and Virginia, but she always considered Iowa her home. She lived by the Lions motto: We Serve. While her children were young, she served as Girl and Cub Scout leader for their troops. She was a member of Tipton Ambulance Service for 6 1/2 years and worked with MECCA's Tipton office. While volunteering for the Cedar County Historical Society, she assisted in writing two cookbooks. The Tipton Library Board was lucky to have her for six years, as was Business and Professional Women, for which she was district director. During her time with the Stanwood Lions Club, Lois served twice as president, was district exchange student chair and district diabetes chair. She received the Melvin Jones Fellowship, the Warren Coleman Award, and in 2002, was named Lion of the Year for the Stanwood Lions Club. She was an avid gardener, too, even managing to pull weeds from her walker until very recently.

She enjoyed activity, purpose and above all, family.

Lois is survived by her husband; daughters, Cindy (Steve) Arntzen of Menominie, Wis., Lisa (Eric) Crawford of Bettendorf and Valerie (Todd) Clay of Anamosa; sisters, Carolyn Bittinger and Joyce Meier; brothers, Frank, Roger and Warren; and seven grandchildren, Kate, Julie, Dustin, Evan, Shannon, Rhys and Kyra.

She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Ronald Hinrichs Jr.; granddaughter, Lorelei; and brothers, Harold and Walter.