Loris Adell Zellmer Wever

1934 - 2020

Loris Adell Zellmer Wever

WEST HEBRON - Loris Adell Zellmer Wever, age 86, of West Hebron, NY died peacefully at home on Thursday, December 10, after a brief illness, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Kansas City, taught school in Germany, California and New York.

She was a highly skilled painter and quilter. She kept her portion of Chamberlain Mills Road free of litter, picking up trash daily as she took long walks every day (into her late seventies). A tireless worker, she would rise by six am to weed for two hours in the flower garden, even into cold weather. She came from a long line of Lutheran Ministers (seven in the three preceding generations). She lived in New York for her last fifty years. She did not fear death, but saw it as a homecoming and had said for years that she was "ready to fly to Jesus!"

She is survived by her devoted husband of 58 years, James D. Wever, of West Hebron; three children: Lisa Wilson (Tom) of West Rupert, VT; Leslie Burns (Tom) of Chesterfield, NH; and Jerry Wever of Atlanta, GA. She had eight grandchildren, and was present at most of their births: Patrick (Deneen), Thomas (Heather) and Magdalena (Ben Aubrey) Wilson; Jameson (Olivia), Joshua, J. Owen, and Karissa Burns; and Kala Wever. She is also survived by her brother, Gerhardt Zellmer, of Baton Rouge, LA.

In the second half of her life, Lori was especially passionate about her relationship with Jesus, and tried to model parts of his revolutionary loving selflessness. She served in many ministries throughout the years, including Bible studies, teaching Sunday School, Open Arms Pregnancy Resource Center, International Student Friendship Group, and praying for missionaries. She spent hours each week praying and reading scripture, committing dozens of passages to memory. A priority in her life was investing in the lives of others as friend, hostess, and babysitter. An avid artist, she created beautiful watercolors, and quilts to welcome many new babies and in-laws. She loved baking, quilting group, and exercising with her Osteo-buster friends.

Lori was born in 1934, in Kansas City, Missouri to Ernest Emile Zellmer and Magdalena Louise Ebert Zellmer, and grew up with her four older brothers in Kansas City, MO and Sterling, CO, where her father was a Lutheran pastor. She studied Education and Art at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, then taught for a year at a US Army base in Baumholder, Germany, experiencing many adventures in Europe, Egypt and Israel. She then taught in San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento, CA. She met her husband, engineer Jim Wever, while skiing at Lake Tahoe. They moved back to his home territory of upstate New York, where she taught first graders for many years at Harrison Avenue School in South Glens Falls.

In lieu of flowers, Lori would encourage you to consider instead these final gifts to her:

• Make peace with your Maker and your loved ones.

• Write out your final wishes, so that your family will be at peace, as ours is.

• Send a gift to an organization that affirms life, such as Hospice (to whom we are so grateful for help in her last days).

Lori never liked funerals, and always said did not want one. How fitting for 2020! She did, however, leave a list of favorite verses and hymns, which her family read and sang through with her – far better than any funeral could ever be: I Thessalonians 4:13-18, II Corinthians 5, Revelation 5:11-14, Psalm 139:1-17, Psalm 111. Rock Of Ages, Jesus Loves Me, It is Well with My Soul. She wrote her epitaph: Now joyously worshipping in the very presence of the Triune God.

The family expresses gratitude for the prayers, calls, cards, emails, memories, visits, and caring gifts of food that have been sent. We regret that we cannot receive visitors at this time. If you have a favorite memory of Lori, it would bless us to hear it. Cards may be sent to 32 Chamberlain Mills Road, Salem, NY 12865.