Lois E. Wooldridge

Lois Elaine Wooldridge, age 92, passed away surrounded by her loving children at Good Samaritan Society-St. John’s in Kearney, Nebraska on September 3, 2020. She was born January 5, 1928 in Chappell, Nebraska to William F. and Mary Gertrude Piller. She grew up in Chappell, and graduated with the class of 1945. Lois met her husband, Clyde Morris Strohmyer, during the blizzard of 1948 while she was a cute little clerk in the local drugstore and he delivered hay to the Chappell area. They were married June 5, 1949 in Chappell at the Lutheran Church. They made their home in North Platte, Nebraska. To this union four children were born ~ Nikki, Janna, Kathi and Tom. Lois was a stay-at-home mom until she was widowed in 1968. She then worked with the North Platte School system at Buffalo Elementary, where her children attended. In North Platte, she was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. She was an avid exerciser, belonged to a bowling league, was active in the PTA, and assisted several scouting troops for her children. As a single mom she was always up for adventure, taking her family on their first flight (to Detroit), a train trip to the West Coast and many car trips to visit family in Colorado. Her lemon meringue pies were always in demand, especially at Strohmyer family gatherings. Lois was swept off her feet by Charles Lloyd ‘Spike’ Wooldridge in 1975. They married, and she relocated to Cozad where she gained three sons, a daughter and her first grandchildren. She was very active in Cozad’s American Lutheran Church. She worked at the Cozad nursing home, and spent hours upon hours volunteering to make the residents’ days brighter with musical bingo and visits. She made a home that reflected her love for children and, along with Spike, took on the babysitting role for a special family, the Brockmeiers. She enjoyed several Piller family reunions, especially the large gatherings at Ft. Robinson in western Nebraska. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clyde Strohmyer, and her husband Spike Wooldridge, who left us in 2018. Also preceding her in death are her brother Martin Piller and sisters Marjorie Potter, Esther Raitz ,and Delores Jacobsen, stepson Johnny Joe Wooldridge, and grandchildren Jesse Sheffield, Lucretia Lyn Glenn, and Brett Stover-Wooldridge. Survivors include her sister Leah (Stan) Brown, her children Nikki (Tony) Kriz, Janna (Dan) Kuklis, Kathi (Bob) Gentzler, Tom (Jenny) Strohmyer and stepchildren Fred (Katherine) Wooldridge, Donna (Kenny) Sheffield, and Terry (Teresa) Wooldridge, Sister-in-law Wilma "Billie" Piller and brother-in-law Eudell "Jake" Jacobson. She also leaves behind grandchildren Anna, Morgan, Allison, Jon, Adam, Ryan, Sara, TJ, Alex, Sam, Edyth, Tyler, Seth, Jennifer, Ashley, Travis, Jenna, Kylie, Karissa, Jessica, and Charlie and sixteen great-grandchildren. These little ones were the light of her life. She loved them fiercely and prayed for them daily. She is also survived by her beloved surrogate grandson Austin Brockmeier and very dear friends Lemoyne Strasburg and Deb Klein. Visitation is scheduled at Berryman Funeral Home in Cozad on Tuesday, September 8th from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A service of memory led by Pastor Fred Wooldridge, and interment, will be held on Wednesday, September 9th at 10:00 a.m. at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the service will be limited to Lois’s family. Please direct memorials to the address of Janna Kuklis, 902 Bell Blvd., Grand Island, NE 68801. Memorials will be forwarded to AseraCare Hospice in Kearney.