Lois Jessie (Layton) McCracken 1936 - 2019

LAYTON, MCCRACKEN, RUFFCORN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 12/19/2019 at 19:02:02

Onawa Democrat
18 September 2019

Lois Jessie (Layton) McCracken, 82, of Onawa, Iowa, passed away September 7, 2019, at Elmwood Care Center in Onawa.

Funeral services will be 10:30 A.M. Friday, September 13, 2019, at the Little Sioux Church of Christ in Little Sioux, Iowa, with Pastor Wayne Bahr and Pastor Russ McCracken officiating. Burial will follow in the Little Sioux Cemetery.

Visitation will be 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Thursday, September 12, 2019, at the Rush Family Chapel in Onawa. Arrangements are under the direction of Rush Family Care Service in Onawa.

Lois was born October 11, 1936, to Leverett and Jessie (Ruffcorn) Layton, in Little Sioux, Iowa.

Lois was the youngest of six children. As a child, Lois enjoyed many things as children did at that time with special memories of helping her Mom in the garden, picking up corn with her Dad, her school days and adventures with her siblings, friends and classmates. Lois was a very good high school basketball player, playing forward, and notably once scoring 50 points in a game.

Lois met the love of her life in high school. She married her love, Robert D. (Bob) McCracken, on May 25, 1953. Bob and Lois made their first home in Omaha, with a move to Council Bluffs, then back to Little Sioux, and ultimately to Onawa, where they spent the majority of their life together.

Bob and Lois welcomed their first child, Robert Steven, on November 21, 1953, and their second child, Lori Ann (Beck), on July 23, 1956. Lois was a fulltime hairdresser and operated a beauty shop (Cut and Curl) from their home for many years.

Lois enjoyed being a part of her children’s school activities, her community (serving on the Onawa City Council for several years) and traveling. Lois and Bob saw much of the world together, traveling to places such as Alaska, Canary Islands, Jamaica, Hawaii, Europe, Mexico and many places in the United States. In 2003, Lois and Bob celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their family on a Caribbean cruise. Lois took her grandchildren on trips which included a South Pacific cruise with her three grandsons, Hawaii with her two older granddaughters, and a Bahamas Disney World cruise with her two younger granddaughters. Lois and Bob purchased a retirement home in Donna, Texas, where they spent many winters enjoying friendships and hosting family and friends.

Quilting was a passion for Lois. Starting out with patchwork quilts, she made quilts for each of her grandchildren. She then began the beautiful art of cross-stitched quilting and straight stitched quilting, making one for each child, grandchild and great grandchild. The beauty and many hours of love devoted to these quilts will be cherished by her family for a lifetime.

Lois is survived by her husband of 66 years, Bob McCracken of Onawa, IA; son, Steve (Peg) McCracken of Council Bluffs, IA; daughter, Lori (Jim) Beck of Onawa, IA; seven grandchildren: Jacob McCracken, Genesis Dunn, Matthew McCracken, Candace Chapman, Clint Thomsen, Samantha Bieler, and Michaela Gray; and ten great grandchildren: Vance Chapman, Mila Chapman, Abigail McCracken, Conrad McCracken, Aven Dunn, Jonah Dunn, Gavin Bieler, Charlotte Bieler, William McCracken and Maisie McCracken.

Lois was preceded in death by her parents, Leverett and Jessie Layton; sisters: Fleta Petersen, Annie Hussing, Darlene Breeling, Dolores Grandgenett; and brother, Don Layton.

Memorials may be directed to the family to be donated for Alzheimer’s research and to the Onawa Public Library.

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