Lois Grote passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2009, after a brief illness. She was born Lois Odell Wright in Doucette, Texas on August 31, 1922, and all of her younger years were spent in Tyler County where she lived with her parents, Jim and Eliza Wright and her four siblings. Upon her graduation from Kirby High School in Woodville, she married and moved to Silsbee where she lived the remainder of her life.
After working at various local Silsbee businesses, she began a long career with Kirby Lumber Company where she retired in 1987 with 33 years of service having begun as a Steno-Clerk and advancing to a senior secretarial position supporting six department heads. It was while working at Kirby Lumber Company that she met and married the love of her life, Frank Grote. They supported each others work, family, and civic endeavors for 43 years until Franks death in 2008.
Upon her retirement from Kirby in 1987, she was asked to start another position as secretary to newly elected County Commissioner Bob Burgess. She worked in this capacity the next 10 years.
Volunteer and civic service covered all her working years. She joined and in 1969 became President of the American Business Womens Association. She organized the Pilot International Club in Silsbee and served two terms as Charter President. As Charter Co-Chairman of the Silsbee Community Pride Coalition she served two terms as President. At the Silsbee Country Club she was elected President twice also.
Before women could become members of Kiwanis International, Lois volunteered to serve as Publicity Reporter and Historian. For 21 years she prepared a weekly newspaper article with pictures on Kiwanis programs and activities. She annually assembled a three inch thick scrapbook for each outgoing President and Lt. Governor. After 21 years the Kiwanis Club honored Lois with a Lifetime Membership.
As a survivor herself Lois strongly supported both the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. She also belonged to the Silsbee Womens Club.
In her younger years Lois enjoyed fishing and boating, but extended her interests to ballroom dancing, golf and traveling. At first her travels were close to home, but later with husband Frank they traveled extensively every year, all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. They traveled many times to Europe, to Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Their most memorable trip was in 1983, crisscrossing China for three weeks.
Lois was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Frank R. Grote and a daughter who died at birth. Her two brothers, Sammie Wright and Marvin Wright, and a sister, Evelyn Trull also predeceased her. She is survived by a sister, Dorothy Oates, stepson Robert Grote, and 11 nephews and nieces. One niece, Donna Lois Eberling is her namesake and she was a very special aunt and second Mom to all her nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Lois will be 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at First United Methodist Church in Silsbee under the direction of Farmer Funeral Home. Visitation will be 5:00 pm till 7:00 pm Monday at the funeral home.
