Lois M. McGlothlin

Lois M. McGlothlin was born March 16, 1923 in Appleton, Minnesota to Alfred and Minnie (Hancock) Lindahl. Born with spina bifida, she was not expected to live beyond childhood. When Lois died in Abilene on Sunday, May 3rd, at the age of 92, she was one of the oldest spina bifida survivors. Allergic to most pain-killers, she accepted her limitations with grace. The family will receive visitors at a visitation from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday, May 7, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home Chapel, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene, prior to the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park. In her younger years Lois worked as an executive assistant to the CFO of the Minneapolis Star newspaper group. In 1964, Lois met Ray McGlothlin Sr. at Scott and White hospital in Temple where Lois' husband, Edmund Ulrich and Ray's wife, Debbie, were both being treated for liver cancer. The experimental treatment failed and Edmund and Debbie died. But Lois and Ray found new love for each other growing out of their shared grief. They married in April of 1965. They ranched 30,000 acres in East Texas near Clarksville: raised pigs, milked dairy cows, harvested timber, ran sawmills, cut railroad ties, built wooden pallets, and traveled extensively, including Russia, Alaska, and Australia. Lois and Ray also ranched in John Day, Oregon, summering the cattle on US National Forest land and moving them in a two-day cattle drive through downtown John Day to the ranch for the winter. They retired to a ranchette near Crandall, Texas, and after Ray's death in 1989, Lois lived in Kaufman and Abilene. Lois was preceded in death by husband Ray Sr. and by her stepson Hal; by Jack’s wife, Joyce; by her brother Dale Alfred Lindahl; and by her sister Jean Lindahl Webb. Lois is survived by her step-children and their spouses: Ray, Jr. (Kay); Jack; and (Hal’s widow) Marilyn, all of Abilene; her sister, Lucille Lindahl George of Minnesota, and brother, Keith Gordon Lindahl, of Wisconsin; 15 step-grandchildren; 34 step-great-grandchildren; 11 step-great-great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; church friends from Kaufman Church of Christ, and Hillcrest Church of Christ (Abilene); fellow residents of Wesley Court and Wisteria Place; and business friends from years past associated with McWood Corporation, E-Z Serve Corporation, LaJet Corporation and the SoftSearch group of companies.