Lois Schaaf

October 14, 1954 - November 18, 2020

LOIS JANE (KRUEGER) SCHAAF, age 66, died peacefully on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at Capri Garden in Lewis Center, Ohio. Lois was born October 14, 1954 in Eldora, IA to Fredrick R. Krueger and Bernice R. (Klemme) Krueger. Lois grew up in Iowa, attending school in What Cheer, Keswick, and Thornburg and graduated from Tri-County High School in 1972. She attended Trinity Christian College for 1 year and then transferred to the University of Iowa where she received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 1976 and 1978. Lois married Larry Joe Schaaf on Christmas morning, 1979 in Mt. Vernon, MO. Lois worked at Brown Brokerage and Tektronix in Oklahoma City and then she and Larry moved to Tucson, AZ where she worked at a branch of the University of Southern California Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Then began a lifetime of travel, living in Dunedin, New Zealand, Omaha, NE, Kalamazoo, MI, Dublin, OH and finally Columbus/Lewis Center, OH. Lois had one goal in life - to be the best Christian wife, mother, grandmother and friend she could be. She loved people and especially her family. While Lois was not naturally outgoing, she developed deep friendships and she always had a smile on her face and loved good humor. It was not unusual for her to sit quietly in her chair listening to everyone talk and then suddenly provide a candid "word of wisdom" or a "dry wit comment" that made everyone laugh. Her closest friends knew her as "Lolo". At the age of 37, Lois was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. This disease tried to wear her down for nearly 30 years but she always had a level of optimism that her family and friends have never been able to fully understand. Parkinson's was her cross, and she carried her cross with great dignity, never adopting the facile, and dreadful, posture of victimhood. But like Jesus himself, she was able to carry her cross because of the help she received from her family, caretakers and Christian brothers and sisters. God was truly her strength and refuge! Lois always enjoyed spending time with her husband, sons, and grandchildren. Facetime became a weekly source of enjoyment for her - she loved seeing her grandchildren even though she couldn't always be physically with them. She loved their smiles and said "my grandkids are the best grandkids in the world." Lois was a second mother to several of her son's friends, including Jonathan Robinson and Eric Borst. Lois accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior as a teenager. She loved the Lord and had great compassion for those who did not have a personal relationship with God and for those who were less fortunate. She was very active in Christian Women's Fellowship and in small group Bible study at Xenos Christian Fellowship/Dwell Community Church and Genoa Baptist Church in the Columbus, OH area. Lois was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Larry Schaaf of Lewis Center, OH, two sons, Brian Schaaf and his wife Sharon of Mason, OH, and Stephen Schaaf and his wife Nicole of Nashville, TN; 5 grandsons, Austin Bradley, Hayden, Carter and Gavin Schaaf and 1 granddaughter, Sophia Schaaf; her brother, Gene Krueger and his wife Twyla of Siloam Springs, AK; Aunt Julia Klemme; numerous nieces, nephews, many other relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Parkinson's Foundation Ohio at: https://www.parkinson.org/GreatLakes OR Central Ohio Youth for Christ at: https://www.coyfc.org