Lois Mcdermott

Lois D. McDermott, 81, of Atlantic, Iowa, passed away Friday, May 2, 2008, at the Heritage House in Atlantic.

Lois Darlene McDermott was born April 10, 1927, in her parents' home in Cumberland, Iowa, to Bernard J. (B.J.) and Pauline D. (Bannick) Steffens.

Lois was raised in the Anita area and attended the Wiota School, graduating in 1944. During her senior year at Wiota she played in the 1944 State Basketball Tournament Championship. Following high school, she again played basketball for A.I.B. in Des Moines as she continued her education there.

On January 3, 1949, she married Thomas L. McDermott in Des Moines, Iowa.

Tom and Lois lived in Lyman a while before buying the Fletcher Chapel Store 8 miles south of Atlantic in 1950. The store closed in 1968 due to road changes, and in 1969 they moved to Atlantic. Lois then went to work for Payless Cashway/UBC and stayed there until her retirement.

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Atlantic.

Lois loved planting flowers, especially purple petunias. It seemed she was on a constant quest trying to figure out how to keep the rabbits from eating the lettuce and tomatoes in her vegetable garden. As much as she enjoyed gardening, it could never compare to the love she had for her granddaughters.

Surviving Lois are her sons, Rick McDermott and Melinda McDermott and Jerry and his wife, Devon, McDermott, all of Atlantic. Also surviving are her granddaughters, Cammy McDermott of St. Louis Park, MN, Leslie (Kent) Odefey of Davenport, IA, Emily (Josh) McLaren of Atlantic, IA and Ashley McDermott of Des Moines, IA; great-grandchildren, Paige and Cole Odefey of Davenport, IA and Jackson and Gavin McLaren of Atlantic, IA; her sisters, Norma Buckingham of Carson, IA and Mildred Harris of San Jose, CA; a brother, Junior Steffens of Wiota, IA; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Preceding Lois in death was her husband, Thomas L. McDermott; her parents, Bernard and Pauline Steffens; her parents-in-law, Fred and Ona McDermott; and a brother-in-law, Frederick McDermott.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 6, 2008, in the Hockenberry Family Care Chapel, Atlantic, Iowa, with the Reverend Gary DeGeest officiating. Viewing will start at noon Monday, May 5, and continue until 8:00 p.m. with the family present to greet friends from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.

Family and friends are invited to share lunch and memories with the family, following the committal service, in Hockenberry's Community Room.

Hockenberry Family Care, Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.