Obituary of Lois Woodell

Lois Adele (Woolard) Woodell Born March 21, 1923 in Colville, Stevens County, Washington to Alonzo O. and Anna Bae (St. Clair) Woolard. She lived most of her school age years in Opportunity, Washington. Lois attended Opportunity grade school, where she participated in the grade school orchestra and joined the Campfire Girls. Lois went to Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Washington where her father taught business. She played violin and viola in the orchestra there also. She joined Spokane Valley Rainbow Assembly. Lois graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1940, three months after becoming 17 years old. Her parents thought she was too young to go to college so she attended Kinman Business College where she worked part-time to help pay for her education. In September 1941, Lois enrolled in Home Economics at Washington State College. She worked part-time to pay for her college. After two years she went to work for the 319 College Training Detachment of the Army Air Corp. January 1944, she enlisted in the Army Air Corp. Basic training was at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. She was then sent to Greensboro, North Carolina which was a learning experience for someone from Spokane, Washington. From there she was transferred to Louisville, Kentucky. Her discharge came in December 1945 at Camp Beale, California. A trip home for Christmas then on to Louisville, Kentucky in a civilian job she held as a member of the military. Later Lois was transferred to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. where she met and married her husband (Woody) Nelson E. Woodell. They married on December 7, 1946 by the same Presbyterian minister who married Woody's parents in 1918. Lois and Woody worked at the Pentagon for several years before relocating to Opportunity, Washington. In Opportunity, Lois worked at the Naval Air Station at Geiger Field. Lois returned to college at Eastern Washington in Business Education. She completed her degree in Business Education in June, 1959 and received her Master's Degree in June, 1965. She participated in student teaching at Lewis and Clark High School. At the end of the semester, she was asked if she would accept a teaching position at the same high school. After six years of teaching, she was offered a teaching position at Eastern Washington University where she taught for twenty years before retiring in June 1985 as an Associate Professor. In September 1985, Lois and Woody moved to Lake Havasu City, completing their retirement plans and building a home. Lois was a member of the Eastern Star joining in January 1944. She was Worthy Matron, Grand Esther of the state of Washington, a member of the Daughters of the Nile, and a member of the Republican Women and Men's club. She enjoyed being a member of the Lois Club in Lake Havasu City. She was also a member of Community Presbyterian Church in Lake Havasu City. She enjoyed reading, bowling, and playing a little golf. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, older brother, Robert Dean Woolard, son, Nelson Edward Woodell Jr., and her husband, Nelson E. (Woody) Woodell. She is survived by her younger brother, Richard B. Woolard, of Colville, Washington, and also several nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Community Presbyterian Church in Lois' memory. Visitation will be at 1:00pm on January 10, 2017 at Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home and followed with a graveside service at Lake Havasu Memorial Gardens at 3:00pm. A memorial service will be held at Community Presbyterian Church at a later date. Services were placed in the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home. Thoughts and condolences can be made to the Woodell family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com.