Lois Jean (Lyon) Jemes

Lois Jean (Lyon) Jemes went home to be with the Lord on September 24, 2022. She was born on December 20, 1945 in Moscow, Idaho and grew up on a farm with great views of Moscow Mountain and the Twin Buttes. Later her family moved to Milton-Freewater, Oregon where she graduated from McLoughlin Union High School in 1964. She met the love of her life, Ben Jemes, and they were married in 1964. They raised two children, Brian and Angie, in Milton-Freewater. In addition to supporting their children in all things, Lois and Ben shared their love of gardening and canning and raised chickens and rabbits. Lois became a prolific bread baker and a gift of her bread was especially prized among family and friends.

Later, she and Ben moved their family to a large farm house on the Double M Ranch near Adams, Oregon where they loved to host gatherings of family and friends for game nights that often featured rousing games of Pinochle. The highlight of her year was hosting her extended family at Thanksgiving or Christmas. She was an excellent listener and had the knack of making everyone feel welcome and at ease.

Lois' creativity expressed itself in many ways through the years. She sold handmade creations at an annual Christmas Bazaar in Walla Walla, Washington. She was an avid quilter and an active member of quilt clubs in Pendleton and Enterprise, Oregon. She loved to make gifts of her quilts, comforters and wall hangings for family, friends, and those in need.

Lois was a follower of Jesus Christ and active in Baptist churches in Portland and Milton-Freewater, Oregon and Walla Walla, Washington, and a Community church in Adams, Oregon. Also, Lois and Ben have been longtime listeners to sermons from Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto and Cupertino, California thanks to the ministry of Discovery Publishing.

Lois loved her grandchildren, Samantha, Levi, and Elizabeth. In her retirement years, she accompanied her daughter's family on adventures in beautiful Enterprise, Oregon and even Anchorage, Alaska. When her grandchildren were young, Lois was on hand to help care for them and her wisdom continues to guide them through life.

When her grandchildren grew older, Lois returned to Moscow, Idaho fulfilling her dream of living on the farm where she grew up. In recent years, she continued to quilt each day, and, weather permitting, she loved to sit outdoors and soak in the beauty of the Palouse hills framed by Moscow Mountain and the Twin Buttes.

Lois is preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Donna Lyon, her brothers Richard and Leonard, and survived by her husband Ben, children, Brian (Sharon) Jemes and Angie (Phil) Shephard, grandchildren Samantha, Levi (Lily), and Elizabeth, sister-in-law Susan Lyon, nieces Christine (Tony) Del Pozo and Jamie (Bill) Lehman, nephew, Andrew (Rachel) Lyon, grandnephews Jarrett, Travis, and Colin, and grandnieces Esther and Morgan.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in Lois’ memory to the charity of your choice.

The service is at 11:00am on Monday, October 3, 2022 at Short’s Funeral Chapel in Moscow. If you’ve received a quilt or handmade item from Lois, the family encourages you to bring it to display at the luncheon that will follow the graveside service at the 1912 Center in Moscow.