Lois Anna Marie (Smith) Hardy

Lois Anna Marie (Smith) Hardy, 87, of Chetek, passed away on November 13, 2014 at her home in Chetek

Lois Anna Marie Hardy (Smith) was born January 31, 1927 in Menomonie, WI and grew up on a farm with her 5 siblings.  She attended Beaver Creek School and Menomonie High School.  Upon graduation in 1944, she headed with a cousin to Washington, D.C. to work at the Pentagon until 1946.  Lois returned to Menomonie and met her future husband Louis Hardy at a dance in November 1946 and they were married six months later on May 17, 1947 at the Peace Lutheran Church in Menomonie.  To this union were born Cindy (1949), Cathy (1952), David (1953), Danny (1955) and Carolyn (1959).  Lois and Lou began their married life farming near Menomonie until buying a farm two miles east of Dallas, in 1959.

Always an early riser, Lois worked side-by-side with her husband and was a full participant in running the farm as well as raising the family.  Lois and Lou loved hosting and visiting friends to play cards, a past-time she continued weekly throughout her life.

Later in her marriage she began bowling and golfing in a couple’s league with Lou, passing the hobbies onto her children and grandchildren.

After all the children were in school, Lois decided to find a job off the farm and began working at Carlson’s Chicken Factory.  She also worked at the Barron Hospital, Head Start in New Auburn and Rice Lake.  Lois worked at Kwik Trip in Chetek where she loved greeting people in the early morning always with a smile.  After retiring from Kwik Trip, she enjoyed feeding residents at Knapp Haven.

After Lou passed away in 1988, she moved to Chetek to be closer to her family and the activities she loved.  Her time as a widow was spent working in her garden, putting together many jigsaw puzzles, completing crosswords and going on countless bus trips.

Lois developed a love for watching baseball and enjoyed listening to Brewers games on the radio, hardly ever missing a game.

Her grandkids and great-grandkids were the “apple of her eye” and she enjoyed spoiling them while babysitting.  She also enjoyed watching their sporting events and concerts as they grew older.

Lois spent her time baking her famous chocolate chip cookies as well as other sweet treats, that she often gave away to the many important organizations and people in her life.  A large part of her later life was volunteering her time at the Chetek Senior Center.  She was an active member in the Chetek Lutheran Church volunteering her services at anytime.

Lois is survived by her five children; Cindy (Jerry) Davis of Chetek, Cathy (Jerry) Runkle of Chetek, David (Teresa) Hardy of Chetek, Danny Hardy of Phoenix, AZ, Carolyn (Rod) Stoyke of Rice Lake; Grandchildren, Corey, Tina, Todd, Jennifer, Stacey, Donnie, Deanna, Denise, Matt, Sheila, Sabrina and 18 Great-grandchildren.  Also survived by one sister Edna Schaefer of Menomonie, WI, Brothers-in-law; Robert Guptill of Menomonie, WI and Gerald Singerhouse of St. Paul, MN, sister-in-law; Leona Metzger of Menomonie, WI, many nieces, nephews and friends.  She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Louis Hardy, 2 brothers, Donald and Henry; 2 sisters, Vera Guptill and Leona Singerhouse.

A visitation will be held at Burnham-Ours-Kolstad Family Funeral Home from 4-7 PM on Monday, November 17 ^th .  The funeral will be held at the Chetek Lutheran Church Tuesday at 11 AM, with a viewing an hour before the service.  A graveside service will be held at Lakeview Cemetery following the ceremony.