We are heartbroken and mourning the loss of our mother, Lois Mae Lyght, age 94, of Boscobel, WI who was called home on Friday, April 15, 2022. Mom lived a full life and would have celebrated her 95th birthday next month. We know she has a very special room in heaven and is reuniting with all the family members and friends who passed before her.
Lois married Clifford Lyght and went on to have 14 children. Yes, 14 of us, with two sets of twins. We were raised to be a close family and to look out for one another. Dad died in 1994, and sadly mom also lost 8 children during her lifetime. Each loss was heartbreaking, but she found her inner strength and carried on for her family.
How do we describe this special woman? She was born in 1927, the youngest of 6 children. Her father died when she was 2 years old, which meant a difficult childhood as her mother struggled to raise and support the family. Mom learned young about sacrifice and hard work, and this was how she lived her life. She was a quiet, soft spoken, sensitive woman, content to be in the crowd, but never wanting to stand out.
Lois was a homemaker. She was the mom who made homemade bread, coffee cakes, donuts and cookies, and cooked a large supper every night. We were given donut holes for our tea parties. A favorite treat was mom’s homemade frozen cocoa, and she made the best fried chicken we have ever tasted. She also took care of a large garden, made jam, and canned many quarts of food each year, including 3 kinds of pickles, tomatoes, chili sauce and applesauce. At family potlucks mom was always asked to bring her potato salad and baked beans. She was the mother who went outside and played games with us, which is one reason our cousins always liked to come to Aunt Lois’s house. Growing up one of our favorite family games was Spud. We also played softball and croquet among other things. Years later she played these same games with her grandchildren. Then she discovered Carom and would play with anyone who was willing. Mom pretty much ruled the board.
Life was not all fun and games though as we all had chores to do. We didn’t realize or appreciate at the time how much organization and work went into raising a large family, or how much worry. As adults we have a better understanding of how hard mom worked for the family. Mom was so used to working that even when she was older and had time to sit and rest, she would always think of something she should be doing.
When her youngest kids were a little older mom began to babysit for other families. Some of these kids also called her grandma and would come back to visit her when they were older. She always enjoyed these visits. At age 59 mom started working in the kitchen at the Boscobel Hospital. This was the first time she had worked outside of the house, and it was wonderful for mom as she enjoyed her job and made new friends. She ended up staying on the job for 11 years. Then mom decided she was too young to retire at 70, so she worked part time at World of Variety for a few years.
Mom liked our family to celebrate holidays together at her house. Her grandchildren grew up looking forward to spending time at Grandmas, where it was a large and lively group, they could play with their cousins and be just a little bit spoiled by everyone. They enjoyed Grandma’s chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, her long-johns with maple frosting, and her special sour cream cutout cookies at Christmas. At Easter there would be eggs to color, Easter baskets, egg hunts and 3 legged races. We will all remember family games of Spud, croquet, carom, wiffle ball and basketball played at grandma’s house.
In her mid-eighties mom began struggling with dementia and was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This cruel disease steals your memories, your personality, and eventually the ability to communicate. In 2019 mom was admitted to the memory care unit at Boscobel Care and Rehab. It takes a special person to care for an Alzheimer’s patient. They require patience, love, understanding, and caregivers who know how to communicate with them in their world.
Her daughters, Lana McVay, Kathy Bray and Kitti Richter, and sons Gil (Dixie) Lyght, Jay (Mary) Lyght, and Brad (Lisa) Lyght are holding onto the happy memories as they mourn her passing. She will also be greatly missed by her grandchildren Tom (Hollie) McVay, Marc McVay, Kelly (Lee) Lathrop, Lisa (Matthew) Roherty, Scott (Megan) Lyght, Derek (Emily) Lyght, Tyler (Kylie) Lyght, Jordan (Shreya) Richter, Jared (Tara) Richter, and great grandchildren Kaia, Kacey, Kole, Kellen, Celia, Braylin, MiKayla, Leo, Maxwell, Finn and Gavin.
Lois was preceded in death by her husband Clifford, her daughters Barbara Potter, Judy, and Jill Lyght, and sons Stephen, Larry, Michael, Alan and Todd Lyght, son-in-laws Jerry Bray and Eric Richter, and grandchildren Chad and Danny Potter and Rachelle and Richelle Richter. She was further preceded by her parents, and siblings Beulah, Grace, Lydia, William and Iris.
Mom was such a kind and thoughtful person. She was not only special to us, but also to her daughter and son-in-laws who loved her as much as she loved them. Thanks for the memory’s mom. You are forever in our hearts.
We would like to thank the staff at Boscobel Care and Rehab, and St. Croix Hospice for the care provided to mom.
Mom’s service will be on Thursday, April 21 at the Soman-Larson funeral home in Montfort. Service will begin at 11:00, with visitation beginning at 10:00. Burial will be in the Rock Church Cemetery in Livingston followed by a luncheon for family and friends at Tower Junction in Montfort.
We will also be celebrating our brother Todd Lyght at this service. Todd passed away on December 11, 2020, however Covid prevented us from doing anything at that time. Mom and Todd had a very close bond as they took care of each other for many years, and it seems appropriate to celebrate them together.