Lois Jean Schlegel

Lois Jean Schlegel died Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at Exempla Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Born on a cattle ranch near Sterling, Colorado on July 28, 1931, she was the eldest daughter of Gayle and Helen Whittenbaugh. She was her father's favorite. It didn't matter what the task was, the two of them were always working cattle, cutting and baling hay, fixing fences or performing routine chores around the ranch together. Her youth was typical for a girl at that time. It included attending class in a one-room school house, helping her mother raise her siblings, kicking up her heels at the weekly barn dances and reading. Horses and ranch girls seem to have a special attraction. For Lois, her favorite was a thoroughbred mare, Champ. She and that horse spent plenty of time tending cattle as well as exploring the rest of the ranch. In 1948 she was chosen as the Logan County Rodeo Queen, but to her disappointment, her horse was too fat. So she reigned from the back of a borrowed steed. As the family grew with the addition of sisters, Colleen (Chance), Lila Lea (McFarland) and Gloria (Phillips), her parents sold the original homestead and moved 10 miles west of Sterling to Pawnee View Ranch. Her father needed help with the renovations of several of the barns and outbuildings, as well as for the construction of a new home. He sent word to his family back in Wadena, Iowa seeking a strong young lad to assist with the reconstruction. The response came in the form of a young fellow named Gerald (""Jerry"" to his friends) Schlegel. He was a tireless worker who possessed good carpentry skills. And to Lois, he was also devilishly handsome. So on December 24, 1950, they married. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Ames Iowa to allow Jerry to complete his college education. Upon graduation, they lived in Omaha, Nebraska for a time before returning to Sterling. Within two years a daughter, Charlene, was born. With the baby in tow, she and Jerry moved to Colorado Springs, where he entered the workforce as a structural engineer. It was there in 1955 that son, Douglas was born. She donned the role of full-time mother and homemaker. While living in Colorado Springs, she discovered another of her many talents as a member of the Sweet Adelines Choral group. In addition, she also became involved in ceramics which was to become a life long passion. In 1961 her family moved to the Denver area and settled in Arvada. It was in this community she would spend the rest of her life. Her spare time was filled with music as a choir member of her church, as a teacher of ceramics, oil painting and bunka embroidery. She also traveled extensively in the US as well as in Europe. All her friends became extended members of her family. She thoroughly enjoyed her roles as teacher, mentor, confidant, wife and mother. She will be sorely missed by them all. She is preceded in death by her parents and two brother-in-laws, Richard Orton and Howard McFarland. She is survived by her husband, Gerald; sisters and brothers-in-law, Colleen and Rodney Chance, Sulphur LA, Lila Lea McFarland and Gloria and Tyson Phillips, Sterling CO; her children and spouses, Charlene and Royal Heins, Fraser, CO and Doug Schlegel, Signal Hill, CA; grandchildren, Richard Heins, San Francisco, CA and Christina Heins, Naples FL. Public Visitation will be held from 1-4 pm on Sunday January 31, 2010 at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 3101 S. Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood, Colorado. A Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, February 1, 2010 at Risen Christ Lutheran Church, 14850 W. 72nd Avenue, Arvada, Colorado. Interment will be at Arvada Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Risen Christ Lutheran Church in memory of Lois. Click on ""Sign Guestbook"" to share memories of Lois and messages of condolence with her family.