Lois Pauline (Brush) Vander Schel, 93, was born May 13, 1926, near Lynnville to Lemert and Della (Renaud) Brush. She passed away peacefully on Monday, Apr. 20, 2020, at The Cottages Hospice Care in Pella. Graveside services were held on Apr. 23 at Sully Cemetery. Memorials have been designated for the Pella Garden Club.
Lois graduated from Lynnville High School in 1944, where she played basketball and was salutatorian of her class.
In 1946, Lois was united in marriage to Ollie Terlouw of Lynnville. They built their home north of Sully and raised two children, Kevin and Maren. Ollie passed away in 1992.
In 1995, Lois married Don Vander Schel. They made their home north of Sully and later in Pella. During her years as a farmwife, Lois raised her children (and chickens!), was a hardworking partner in all farm activities, and continued her lifelong hobbies of crafts and painting. She served as a 4-H leader and was well-known in the Lynnville-Sully area as “The Avon Lady” - who always had a purse full of Smarties for her customers' children.
After her marriage to Don, Lois joyfully became a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to his family as well. Lois and Don had many adventures camping, traveling, spending winter months in Texas, and volunteering at an orphanage in Mexico. In later years, they enjoyed daily trips to Lake Red Rock with a stop for ice cream along the way.
She accepted the Lord as her Savior in her early teens and remained a faithful and constant servant throughout her life. She was an active member of Sully Community Church and later Third Reformed Church in Pella. Her faith is reflected in many comments found jotted down in her Bible. She had asked that at her funeral, a message of salvation would be shared, adding, “I accepted the Lord as my Savior in my early teens, and I know how He can be a constant friend and guide at all times.”
Throughout her life, Lois made many friends with her kind and generous heart, ever-present smile, and dry sense of humor. Her faith was evident to everyone who knew her, and she had a loving way of witnessing to others - even total strangers. She made every family gathering more fun with her quick wit and playful nature.
Lois is survived by her husband Don of Pella, and their children: Kevin (Kelly) Terlouw of Lynnville, Maren (Dave) Scharf of Des Moines, Maureen (Mike) Morehouse of Winterset, Mark (Nellie) Vander Schel of Pella, and Tim (Rindy) Vander Schel of Newton; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.
Lois was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, and her siblings: Rex Brush, Delores Boggs, Harriet DeBoef, Mildred Lisk, Bernice Smith, and their spouses, and Cheryl Brush in infancy.
