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Obituary for Lois E. Reader
Lois E. Reader, age 91, of Bethany, OK, formerly of Bourbonnais and Chrisman, IL, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, September 11, 2020. Lois was born May 25, 1929 in Indianapolis, IN to Riley and Thelma (Jones) Fullen. She married John William Reader on June 25, 1954 at Olivet Church of the Nazarene in Olivet, Illinois. John and Lois were totally dedicated to God and to one another. They were married for over sixty years and served the Lord and their church together, faithful to the end. Lois grew up in Olivet, Illinois, the former home of Olivet Nazarene College, with her mother and two sisters. The college had a great impact on her life and her family. Lois Reader loved to serve others. She enjoyed craft work and always made her Christmas and birthday presents look unique with a variety of decorations. She did not like wrapping paper and enjoyed creating each package as a work of art. We always knew the gifts that came from Aunt Lois and Uncle John because of the way they looked. She enjoyed entertaining and loved her “adopted sister,” Karen, and her children. They brought great joy to her and Uncle John since they had no children of their own and the other nieces and nephews lived far away. Lois loved to support the missionaries of the church and prayed for them daily. Her favorite book was her Bible and she was a great prayer warrior. She also loved her church and, as long as she was able, loved to teach Sunday School to the little ones! She would spend hours preparing for each lesson and prayed for her students often. Lois and John provided a “home away from home” for her niece, Peggy, when she was a student at Olivet. Peggy and her friends were always welcome at the Readers and it was a great “get away” from school, just a few blocks from the University! Lois also loved singing and she and her two sisters, Jean and Geneva, sang together often when they were younger. Lois had a beautiful alto voice and loved to harmonize. One of the family favorites was “Bill Groggin’s Goat”. They sang it with great drama and even used props which was always a great source of entertainment to the nieces and nephews. Music was an important part of Lois’s life and she really enjoyed being close to Olivet Nazarene University to take advantage of their concerts and productions. She had been a part of Orpheus Choir while attending and loved to sing songs about her Savior, Jesus Christ. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one sister: Jean Bunton of Columbus, IN and an “adopted sister”, Karen Ferris Goodman of Kankakee, IL. She is survived by her sister, Geneva L. Stark of Bethany, OK; and nieces and nephews: Frank Nelson Bunton, Norma Jean Bunton, Peggy L. Stark-Wilson, James J. Stark, III, Marilyn M. Stark, Stephen R. Stark, Heather L. Ferris Landers, Heidi L. Ferris Hansen, Travis Michael Ferris, Tim Goodman, Michael G. Reader, Steven P. Reader, Marsha K. Reader Jones, Mark E. Reader, Miriam L. Reader Garrett, Michelle Reader Webb, and Hannah Goodman Wiggins. A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Westbrook Church of the Nazarene in Kankakee, IL at 10:00 a.m. A graveside service will follow at Woodland Cemetery in Chrisman, Illinois, at 2:30 p.m. For those who wish, memorials may be made to the Rev. George and Gertrude Reader Memorial Scholarship Fund at Olivet Nazarene University.
