Lois Louise Walter 1925-2004

WALTER, BETKE, MUHLBACH

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 5/1/2009 at 22:18:16

Lois Walter
December 28, 1925-December 13, 2004

Lois Louise (Betke) Walter, 78, was called to her eternal home by the Lord on December 13, 2004, following a long, courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Her family was with her at her bedside through her last days and at death.

Services were held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, December 16, 2004, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Mapleton with Pastor Scott Fiege and Rev. Norman Walter officiating. Burial was in Mount Hope Cemetery, Mapleton. Musicians were Mary Joan Dougherty, Julie Jacobson, Jerry and Debbie Kessler, Karen Krusen and Kirk Walter. A prayer service was held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 15 at the Armstrong Funeral Home in Mapleton.

Lois was born to Otto and Alma (Muhlbach) Betke on December 28, 1925, at her home near Ravenna, Nebraska. She grew up on her family's farm during the Dust Bowl years. The hardships of those times on the land made a lasting impression on her and helped shaped her sense of humility and resourcefulness.

Lois graduated from Ravenna High School with honors. After graduation she worked at the Ravenna bank, and later enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the college of business. At the university, she met her future husband, Irven Walter.

She worked for a time at the Bankers Life Insurance Company in Lincoln. While in Lincoln she was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith. She was married on her birthday to Irven H. Walter on December 28, 1947. The couple then moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Irven was enrolled in Cleveland College of Mortuary Science. While in Cleveland Lois worked at Bankers Life Insurance Company.

In 1948, the couple moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where her husband worked at a funeral home. She was employed at the Insurance Exchange in Omaha for a period of time. Her first son, John, was born while in Omaha. In 1950 the Walters moved to Mapleton, Iowa, where they purchased an interest in the Byers-Walter funeral home.

After a time the business became the Walter Funeral Homes in Mapleton, Ute, Danbury and Anthon. She was secretary-treasurer for all the years in business. The Walters retired and sold the funeral homes in 1991 to Grant Armstrong.

Lois was active in many church and community activities. As a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church she served on many committees, including LCW, and was instrumental in making many of the church banners. She was a member of the Willow Vale Golf club, Community Club, a bridge club, and the Sioux City Art Center.

Lois enjoyed snow skiing. She and her husband owned a home with Irven's twin brother, Iven and his wife, Jackie, in Breckenridge, Colorado, for 20 years.

Lois loved to travel, read, paint, sew and create various art projects. As a young mother in Omaha, she won a set of home appliances in a writing competition on the theme of what she liked best about her mother. Many of her paintings hang on the walls of family and friends.

Most of all, she loved her children and grandchildren and taught them music as well as life's essential values and meaning. She gave to them in place of herself, and their love has grown from her examples over all of her years.

She is survived by her husband, Irven; two daughters, Pamela Paulsrud of Wilmette, Illinois, and Peg and husband Sheldon Jacobson of Mapleton; two sons, John and wife Sandy of Ankeny, Iowa and Kirk and wife Wendy of Sonoma, California; grandchildren, Jamie, Julie and Ryan Jacobson, Natalie and Nathan Walter, Cori and Lindsey Paulsrud, and Iris Walter; four great grandchildren, Breonia, Ashton, Jeffrey, and Zoe; two brothers-in-law, Iven Walter and Norman Walter, and two sisters-in-law, Laverne Brion and Jerry Walter. Other than her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother, Robert, and one son-in-law, Arthur Paulsrud.

Honorary pallbearers were her grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Dan Garner, Jim Gaukel, Don Hamann, Dr. Curtis Hesse, Wayne Kafton, Tom LeFebvre, Rick Nichols, Bob Schulz, Tom Swanson and Gary Thies.

Monona Obituaries maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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