Lois Defoe

1934 - 2025

Lois Defoe

June 20, 1934 - November 2, 2025

Lois Geraldine DeFoe of Eden Prairie, Minnesota passed away on Sunday, November 2, 2025 at the age of 91.

She was born on June 20, 1934, in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, the second of three children, to Carl and Edith (Swenson) Edwardson. Much of her childhood was spent living near Weyerhauser until the family moved to North Branch, Minnesota. She graduated from North Branch High School in 1952. After graduation, Lois worked as a telephone switchboard operator in North Branch.

Lois married Merle DeFoe, her high school sweetheart, on June 16, 1956 in North Branch, at Trinity Lutheran Church, after he returned from serving for two years in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Germany. They lived in Minnesota for a couple years as Merle pursued a career in radio and eventually moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin where they lived for over 40 years, until Merle's passing in 2002.

Lois had an extensive collection of salt and pepper shakers she had acquired during her life and also had a fondness for the Northern Cardinal, her favorite bird. She had a variety of jobs in Eau Claire while caring for her family and made many friends along the way at First Wisconsin Bank and North Central Crop Insurance. Lois and Merle were members of the congregation of Grace Lutheran Church of Eau Claire for 42 years. Lois moved to Eden Prairie, Minnesota in 2008 and made many friends at The Valley View Cooperative, where she lived independently until her passing.

Preceded in death by her husband Merle, her parents, brother, Robert and sister, Nancy Aanonsen.

Lois is survived by all four of her children, Denise Hanson of Eau Claire, Wis., David of Apple Valley, Minn., Daniel (Reggie) of Eau Claire and Dalen (Lynn) of Chanhassen, Minn.; seven grandchildren, Amanda (Isaac) Hahn of Eau Claire, Andrew (Matthew) Ferrando of Minneapolis, Jocelyn DeFoe of Eau Claire, Jeremy DeFoe of St. Louis, Mo., Cassandra (Masahiro) Sakoda of Takasago, Hyogo, Japan, Nathan (Breanna) DeFoe of Gilbert, Arizona, Kathryn (Hans) DeFoe of Minneapolis, Minn.: five great-grandchildren, Leo, Isla and Kai of Eau Claire; Sasha and Luka Sakoda of Takasago, Hyogo, Japan; brother-in-law, Stanley DeFoe of Jackson, Michigan. Lois will be sadly missed by many nieces, nephews and friends. She was loved by so many!

Funeral services will take place Thursday, November 13, 2025 at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapel, 7625 Mitchell Rd., Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with private interment at Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery in North Branch at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make a charitable donation to a charity of your choice.