Lois Oliver

Lois Ann Oliver

A celebration of life for lifetime Lamar resident Lois Ann Oliver was held Saturday, October 7^th, 2023 at 10:00 am at Peacock Family Chapel.

Lois Ann was born August 8 1941 to Joe Hall and Anabel (Foxworthy) Hall at the Maxwell Hospital in Lamar. Her dad always wrote on her birthday cards the temperature was 102 degrees on the day she was born. Lois had a big brother Lee waiting to welcome her home who was 3 years older than her. They grew up on the farm where they had all the animals a kid would want. Goats, geese, pigs, cows, chickens and of course their dogs, horses and cats. Farm chores were a part of their daily lives gathering eggs and cleaning chickens in the summer. Neighbor kids were a few miles away but they did get to play with their neighbors. Lois and Lee attended Columbine school which was I mile from their house. When the weather was good they always walked to and from school, neighbor kids would sometimes walk with them.

1950 was the last year at Columbine school. That fall Lois and Lee started school in the Wiley school district.

Family was always a fun time. Lots of family dinners and picnics, cousins to play with and spend the night with. Growing up Lois was active in 4-H and also in the Dudes and Dames Square dance club, in fact she was one of the original dancers when Dudes and Dames was formed. Lifelong friends were made then and it was also where she met her future husband. Of course, neither one knew the other until years later when they started dating as Juniors in High School.  

Lois graduated from Wiley High school and in 1959 started working as a telephone operator for Mountain Bell. Many good memories and again met lifelong friends.   

On September 11, 1960, Lois married Larry Joe Oliver at the Methodist Church in Lamar. They spent their honeymoon in Mesa Verde and then on to Fort Collins to visit family. When they returned from their honeymoon, Lois’ brother Lee shivareed them which was a tradition after getting married. Larry wore a striped prison suit and had a ball and chain around his ankle so he “wouldn’t run off” and Lois sat in a wheel barrow, while Larry pushed her down main street.  

Lois and Larry lived in Lamar in 2 different apartments before moving to the farm in September of 1961. Shortly after moving in, a daughter, Jo Lynn was born in November. Lois continued to work at Mountain Bell until telephone calls became automated and then chose to stay home to be a full-time mom. 

In May of 1972, a son, Terry Joe was born. Lois continued to be a full-time mom throughout Jo Lynn and Terry’s school years. Lois was a home room mother for both Jo Lynn and Terry’s classes and organized a multitude of fund-raising dinners, baked hundreds of pumpkin rolls and homemade angel food cakes; and made bags of homemade noodles, way too many to count, all to help fund Proms and Senior Sneak trips. During that time Lois never missed a sporting event, pep rally or school program.

Lois and Larry loved to dance, going to numerous dances in Las Animas in their younger years and of course New Year’s Eve at the Elks and the Cowboys’ Ball sponsored by the Vaqueros club at the old armory.

After Jo Lynn and Terry left home Lois returned to work, working for Joyce Reedy and then Carla’s Dress Shop. She and Larry also went on trips with close friends   Jim and Joan Peterson and Gary and Carolyn Peyton. As Shayna and Brodie became involved in sports, she traveled throughout the state to watch them play volleyball, basketball, baseball, football and track. 

Family was always the most important thing in Lois’ life. She especially cherished the time when everyone could be together. Lois was always active whether it was helping Larry on the farm, playing bridge, going to Wednesday STAFF Club, baking delicious morsels, or searching the web on her iPad. Lois loved her iPad and became an expert at sending texts to the family as well as Facetiming her great-granddaughters Emery and Eden which she adored.

On September 22,2023 with all of her family by her side, Lois peacefully departed this life leaving her husband, Larry; daughter, Jo Lynn; son Terry; granddaughter Shayna and her husband Keith; grandson Brodie and his wife Rachel and her great granddaughters Emery and Eden.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made in Lois’ honor to Lamar Area Hospice or Southeast Colorado Cancer Initiative in care of Cathy Buxton.