Lois Spencer, 72

Lois Norma (Wolfe) Spencer, 72, of Mountain Home, died peacefully Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005, with her family by her side, after a battle with cancer.

Funeral services were held Monday, Oct. 17, at the Alsip and Persons Funeral Chapel in Nampa.

Lois was born in Forsythe, Mont., on Jan. 9, 1933, to Stella and Justus Wolfe. The daughter of a hard-working farm couple and the youngest of ten children, Lois was raised to be "strong and independent yet with a never-ending supply of unconditional love for her family and dear friends," her family said. "These qualities turned out to be just a small piece of the legacy she left to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren."

The Wolfe family moved to Nampa when Lois was 3 years old. Lois enjoyed roller skating, riding her bicycle, and playing saxophone. She attended schools in Nampa, including Nampa High, which is where she met the love of her life, David C. Spencer. They were married March 24, 1951. Four children were born to that marriage.

David and Lois settled in Nampa where they worked side by side on their large family farm, he working the fields and the equipment and she tending the home and feeding the workers. "Lois could feed an army at the drop of a hat, which came in handy as her family expanded," her family noted.

The four Spencer children soon had families of their own but the thread that kept them all close was Lois, her family said. "Get-togethers and holiday dinners were always held at 'grandma's house' because that's the way she wanted it to be -- the whole family together, noisy and laughing and loving."

Lois was an active parent, supporting her children in their many endeavors both in and out of school. She was a Brownie, Girl Scout, and Cub Scout troop leader and also helped with various Little Britches Rodeo and high school rodeo events. "Whether in the stands, on the many 'playing fields,' or driving carpool, Lois was an ever-present source of encouragement and inspiration for her children and their peers," her family said.

Lois spent countless hours teaching her children and grandchildren how to knit, paint, garden, and even solder stained-glass.

Lois received an Associates of Arts in Interior Design and was an accomplished interior decorator, seamstress, and artist.

"Lois rode horses and chased bicycles, applied ice packs and pinned wedding veils," her family said. "She happily shared not-so-secret family recipes for cookies and breads, and cleverly answered all sorts of questions about babies, or gardening, or pretty much anything. She always had time to spare for her grandkids and possessed the boundless energy needed to keep up with their antics.

"They fondly remember sleepovers with custom-made pancakes in whatever critter shape they requested. In their eyes, grandma could do anything and everything, and could be counted on to have just the answer they needed regardless of the question at hand or how many millions of times it had been asked."

Lois joined her husband in selling real estate in 1988 and became a multi-million dollar producer.

"She touched so many people in so many different ways, her absence will be felt throughout the community," her family said.

Lois is survived by: her husband of over 54 years, David; her daughters Susan (English) and Becky (Shaw) of Mountain Home; her sons, Jeff, of Eagle and Brett of Star; 25 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren (with 4 more on the way); her sisters, Vivian Taggart of Fair Oaks, Calif., and Erma Cooper of San Jose, Calif., and a brother, Kenneth Wolfe, of Washington.

She was preceded in death by her parents and six siblings.

In lieu of cards or flowers, the family suggests planting a rose bush in her memory as the rose was her favorite flower, or donations may be made to the Horizon Home Health and Hospice, 1310 American Legion Blvd., Mountain Home, ID 83647.