Lois Alberts
Lois Alberts, 83, Queen of Square Dance, Master Gardener, and a Fiesty Woman of Strength, Mother, Grandma, Great-Grandma, Sister and Friend, Lois Alberts, a resident of Moses Lake, died unexpectedly Monday night, April 30, 2007, after a short stay in the hospital.
A child of the Great Depression, Lois was born on Feb. 23, 1924, in Butte, Mont. to Ralph and Mattie Martin. A few years later, her family moved to Pullman, Wash., where Lois graduated from Pullman High School. She then went on to earn her LPN degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.
While Lois was proud of her nursing degree, she went to work at Washington State University, where from 1957 to 1970 she polished student residences to a high gloss. She then relocated to Moses Lake, where she worked at American Potato from 1974 to 1987.
But these chronological events simply do not define the one-of-a-kind woman Lois Alberts was. Lois had a crystal clear way of expressing herself in no uncertain terms. While her heart was tremendous, you always knew where you stood with Lois. She was as tough as they come, living her life in spirit and independence right to the end.
Her abiding loves were animals and the great outdoors. She often said of herself she should have been born a man, because she'd just as soon receive a brand new set of chainsaw blades for a gift as a bottle of perfume. In fact, Lois took woodshop in High School, long before it was common for women to step outside societal expectations of feminine behavior. That independent spirit was just one of many qualities that made her so memorable.
Her affection for animals was legendary, and her home always included at least one beloved cat and dog, as well as a bevy of chickens. Aside from the outdoors, her favorite place to be was in her rocker with a dog at her feet and a cat curled peacefully on her lap. But the most enduring animal bond she had was for her beloved buddy Jake. For the past 20 years, Lois was well-known on the shores of Moses Lake for her resident donkey.
Lois also loved square dancing, gardening, and fishing. She derived tremendous pleasure from her weekly square dances at the Moses Lake Senior Center. She put her considerable skills as a seamstress to work fashioning a rainbow of elaborate square dance outfits, which she proudly wore to the dances.
Lois also won top honors at the Grant County Fair for her delicious homegrown apple desserts. Her garden was one of her joys, and her shelves were lined with an array of her canned tomatoes, beans, jellies and jams.
Lois never lost her sharp wit or determined independence. She had a host of friends and family who loved her very much. Besides her parents, Lois was preceded in death by her brother Glenn Martin, her son Edward Lorenz, and great-grandson Kevin Cromer. She is survived by two sons, Ronald N. Lorenz and Gregory G. Lorenz; her sister Shirley Cochran and brother-in-law Dick Cochran; her sister Velma Sayles and brother-in-law Ivan Sayles; two grandchildren, Christina Cromer and Robert Lorenz, and six great-grandchildren.
Her wish was that her friends and family would celebrate her life in laughter and joy, not in tearful laments. To that purpose, a celebration of her life will be held at a Memorial Square Dance and Potluck, at the Moses Lake Senior Center on Saturday, May 19, at 6 p.m. All who would like to remember Lois are invited to attend, whether they choose to dance or not.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made in Lois' name to Guide Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 151200, San Rafael, Calif. 94915-1200.