March 2021
Dear Family and Friends,
My daughters, Cindy and Jean, are helping me curate some of the stories and memories that have shaped my life. Because my hands and fingers are too gnarled and stiff, I am unable to use a keyboard. So, instead, Jean and Cindy are collaborating to help write my stories.
Isolating during COVID in a care facility was extremely lonely. My kids and grandkids kept in touch with me by phone and Zoom, but I miss seeing my family and friends. Working on this family history project with Jean and Cindy helped me cope. I never tire of reminiscing about my life stories.
Cindy visits me at my window. We talk by phone while looking at each other through the glass. I enjoy her updates about friends and family and chatting about my online memoirs. Cindy (or sometimes John) takes me to essential medical appointments—the only times that I can leave Brookdale Assisted Living. She brings my beloved (and spoiled) dog, Mittsi, which makes me very happy. Cindy prolongs my outings with a scenic drive along the river. These escapes are pleasant, but it’s always hard to go back.
Saturday, August 13
Lois passed away on August 6, 2022, surrounded by loved ones. In honor of her life, we are making her stories accessible to anyone who is interested in reading and sharing them. You do not need to register. If you have any problems accessing the stories email: jean@storlietelling.com.
It turned out that my relief was short-lived. When the next summer rolled around, Jack accepted a second NSF fellowship, this time at Emory University in Atlanta. Though my memories of Atlanta have faded, I still have a letter I wrote home to my parents that my mom saved and returned to me. In it,…
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We have lots of memories from our family road trips to these far-flung destinations—not all of them are good! Cindy suffered from car sickness, which involved frequent stops for her to throw up. We’d let her lie down in the middle seat of the car to settle her stomach, and stuffed Jean and Barb in…
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The fall of 1959, we moved to La Crosse so Jack could embark on his new career as a chemistry professor at UW-La Crosse. As much as I didn’t want to move again, La Crosse ended up being where we put down roots. And the rest of my life stems from this decision. We became…
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Jack threw himself into his new role as a chemistry professor. He loved teaching and was known for delivering passionate lectures. One of his colleagues, who taught in an adjacent classroom, complained that his own students listened more raptly to Jack than to him. Everything about chemistry fascinated Jack, and he pursued his laboratory research…
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Cindy started kindergarten the fall that we moved, which was eventful for all of us. I was a little nervous the first time I walked her to school, Lincoln Jr. High. This was the overflow location for kindergarten because Washburn Elementary was full. Since it involved crossing several major intersections, I was a little afraid…
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One day, I spotted an ad in the local paper for 50¢ watermelons—I was on a mission! When Jack got home for lunch, I rushed out with our only car to take advantage of this bargain. A display of watermelons with a sign, “Watermelon $1.50,” greeted me at the front of the store. Bewildered, I…
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Barb’s fourth birthday was an exciting day for our family—our son, John Jr. (Johnny) was born. Just as I pulled Barb’s birthday cake from the oven, my labor began. I called Georgene, who swept in to help me out. Jack came and took me to the hospital. Georgene decorated Barb’s birthday cake and spent the…
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We moved to Greenwald Coulee late January of 1963. Cindy and Jean transferred to State Road School in the middle of their third and first grade years. Both girls adjusted well and started to make friends with the neighbor kids. Since they were already friends with Carol and Sue Fisher, it was easy for them…
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A young couple, Bill and Jane Landman, moved into the house next door a couple months after us. I made some welcome brownies, which Jack delivered to them. The next day, Jane stopped by to thank me. And we became friends right away. I learned that Jane was an elementary special education teacher, and Bill…
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In no time, our yard became a gathering place for the neighborhood kids. We lived across the street from the gate to the pasture where people boarded their horses at the abandoned farm. That area was a big attraction for the kids. You can see our house just beyond the pasture gate in the picture. Three…
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