Lois Eidsness

Published: Monday, March 10, 2008 11:26 AM CDT

http://www.thepublicopinion.com/articles/2008/03/10/news/obits/obit03.txt

BROOKINGS —

Lois O. Eidsness, 77, Brookings, died Sunday, March 9, 2008 at a Brookings care center.

Funeral services will be Thursday at 10:30 a.m., in the Rudes Funeral Home, Brookings.

Burial will be Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Our Savior Lutheran Cemetery at Henry.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Rudes Funeral Home.

Lois Odetta Fugle was born to Ole and Clara (Rodi) Fugle on Dec. 2, 1930. She was raised with her brother Marvin in the Willow Lake area and later the family moved to a farm north of Naples. She attended grade school in Naples for a couple of years before transferring to a country school near her family’s farm. She was confirmed at Our Savior Lutheran Church, rural Henry. She then attended Henry High School where she graduated in 1948.

In June of 1948 she married James Sandvik. The couple made their home in Henry for some years where they gave birth to Cheryl and Arlan. They moved to St. Paul, Minn. in 1956 where James attended college and Luther Seminary. They had another daughter, Jamie, while in St. Paul. After James finished school, the couple made their homes in Morris, Ill., Akron, Iowa, Sioux City, Iowa and Hanlontown, Iowa over the years.

On Nov. 11, 1995, she married Rev. Gene Eidsness. They spent brief periods of time doing interim work in several churches. They also spent their winters in Arizona.

She was a friendly person who enjoyed laughing with her friends as well as doing all kinds of craftwork. She completed two hardanger baptismal dresses for her families and she loved to travel.

She fell victim to Alzheimer’s disease and was a resident at the Brookview Manor for the last year and a half.

Survivor’s include her husband, Gene of Brookings; daughter, Cheryl (Carl) Thaemert of Denver, Colo.; son, Arlan (Luanne) Sandvik of Nipomo, Calif.; daughter, Jamie (Mike) Zimmerman of Sioux City, Iowa; stepchildren, Carla Merchen of Brookings, David (Deb) Eidsness of Brookings, Kari (John) Anderson of Lake Preston, and Doug (Laura) Eidsness of Brookings; seven grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; and 10 step-great-grandchildren.