Lois Jean Germond

Aug 26, 2019 Truly a member of the Greatest Generation. The eldest of three daughters of Alfred and Margaret Schmidt, born in Beatrice, Nebraska where she grew up on a farm. Her parents moved to San Diego in the late 1930's, but she stayed behind to finish school. After finishing school she hitchhiked to California to rejoin her family. At the outbreak of WWII, she was one of the first women to join the Navy WAVES, and even appeared in LIFE magazine. After the war she was working at Lake Henshaw where she met and married her husband, Phil Germond in 1946. They bought property on Palomar Mountain, built a cabin, and Phil was hired to help build the Mount Palomar Observatory. In 1949 the first of two sons was born and they moved to San Diego. After a brief time in Oregon they settled in Carmichael in 1955. They divorced in the mid-1960's and Lois went to work for The Sacramento BEE where she eventually became an executive secretary in the Industrial Rela tions department. Her passions and talents in life were gardening, cooking, genealogy, playing cards and enjoying leisure time at the family cabin in Butte Meadows. She was also an inventor and entrepreneur (knuckle-puckee), for which she applied for and received a patent. In her later years she traveled the world with her sole mate, Keith. She especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was an amazingly optimistic woman and the sort of person who never met a stranger. She is survived by her son, Phil and his wife Sandy, grandchildren, Daria Ray, Scott Germond, Makenna Davis (Levon), and Monique Renard-Pierce (Mike), and many great grand children and a great-great grand son. Proceeded in death by Phil Germond Sr. and son, Chuck Germond. She will be dearly missed by everyone that knew her. Remembrances can be made to the USO or Vietnam Memorial Fund. "Touched you last"