Lois Mae (Reisch) Lamey 1928-2011

REISCH, LAMEY, MCKEON, LEPPERT, RIESBERG, MICKEL, SOAT, HOEGER, MORISSEY, WIMMER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 7/20/2017 at 21:12:56

Dubuque Telegraph Herald -September 14, 2011

BERNARD, Iowa -- Lois Mae Reisch Lamey, 83, of Oak Crest Manor, Dyersville, formerly of Bernard, was called to join her Heavenly Father at 8:10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Garryowen, with the Rev. Douglas Loecke officiating. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Garryowen. Friends may come to celebrate Lois' life from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Reiff Funeral Home, Cascade, where there will be a wake service at 4 p.m.

Lois was born on May 12, 1928, in Milwaukee, daughter of George W. and Rosalyn T. (McKeon) Reisch. She attended Greendale, Wis., schools, and later began her college education at Clarke College of Dubuque while also working as a telephone operator for the Dubuque Telephone Co. She also belonged to a Clarke College sorority.

Soon, she fell head-over-high-heels for a handsome mechanic, Charles J. "C.J." Lamey, and they were wed on Nov. 24, 1949, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dubuque.

For a few years, they lived in Dubuque on West 11th Street, until they found a farm outside of Bernard, which was just right for raising their ever expanding family. Born and raised in the city, Lois became quickly adept at being a country wife. Gardening, canning, baking, sewing and child-rearing became her passions. Raising eight children with God on her side and a wooden spoon in her hand, Lois gave her children a wonderful atmosphere to thrive. Meanwhile, her love of animals spurred her to breed and raise St. Bernard puppies, and she always had more than one dog to call her own. As if she didn't have enough to do, she began to drive a school bus for Western Dubuque School System and continued doing so for more than 20 years.

Once her children became independent, Lois was able to expand her interest to artistic avenues. She took ceramic classes and became a certified instructor, opened up Triple "L" Ceramic shop in Cascade and later moved it to Dubuque on Main Street. Not to be content with the ordinary, she sold her ceramic shop and then began to create porcelain dolls and taught classes for that as well. She opened Triple "L" Doll Boutique, which featured her hand-painted dolls wearing hand-sewn ensembles. Lois also was fond of sewing, crocheting, knitting and flower arranging.

Once she became a grandmother and great-grandmother, Lois thoroughly loved being surrounded by and holding all her "babies." She spent her golden years with her husband, C.J., traveling the country on their motorcycle and camping with friends.

She was a former member of St. Aloysius Parish and its Rosary Society, a current member of St. Patrick's Parish and its Rosary Society, she co-founded Bernard Motor Sports Inc., with her husband, and they held AMA sanctioned motocross racing events on their land. She also was a member of the Retreads Riding Club.

Surviving are her eight children, Cheryl (Dave) Leppert, of Dubuque, Patrick (Lyn) Lamey, of Suffolk, Va., Mike (Jane) Lamey, of Bernard, Kathleen (Roger) Riesberg, of Dyersville, Thomas Lamey, of Bernard, Daniel (Donna) Lamey, of Riverside, Calif., Rosemary (James) Mickel, of Bernard, and Nancy (Merle) Soat, of East Dubuque, Ill.; 23 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; the love of her life of 59 years, Charles "C.J." Lamey; a son-in-law, Robert Hoeger; her sister-in-law, Joanne Morissey; a brother-in-law, Leo Morissey; a nephew, Peter Wimmer; and Brutus, her faithful friend to the end.