Lois Ellen Souders, age 87, of Hamden, passed away Monday, March 15, 2021, at O’Bleness Hospital in Athens, Ohio. She was born February 3, 1934 in Jackson, Ohio to the late Charles Franklin Hughes and Romaine Imogene Yinger Hughes.
Lois graduated from Jackson High School with the class of 1952. She started out working for W.F. Cline in McArthur before joining her husband, Don, as owner and “right hand man” at Souders Hardware in Hamden for 60 years. Lois was also a travel agent and tour manager for AAA for many years, as well as volunteering at Central Elementary in McArthur, where she was a friend to all.
Above all of this, Lois’ most important job was being a second mom to her granddaughters and her great-grandsons. Family meant everything to Lois, as was evident throughout her life. She was loving, kind, strong, tenacious, and the best cook in the world. Lois was also a very generous person, who was known to give her last dollar to a homeless person in need or give a monetary donation anonymously to an organization.
Lois loved to travel, and over the years she and Don had the pleasure of traveling to five continents all over the world. She was known for her beautiful singing voice that she enjoyed sharing with the community, whether it be in church, the Wellston Rotary Minstrel Show or as a member of the vocal group “The Black Diamonds.” Lois and Don were beautiful dancers and cleared the dance floor many times over the years for others enjoyment. Lois’ faith was very important to her and she was not ashamed to express that. She was a member of the Hamden United Methodist Church and the Hamden Order of Eastern Star.
She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Donald T. Souders; daughter and son-in-law, Donna and John Mitchell; granddaughters, Nicole Waldron (Noah), Kristin Chamberlain (Casey), Bethany Ellen Wolfe (Aaron) and Lauren Mitchell; great-grandsons, Nicholas Waldron, Nathaniel Waldron, Bodie Chamberlain and Wyatt Wolfe; brothers, Evan Hughes (Bridget) and Michael Hughes; along with several nieces, nephews and friends.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Charles “Bud” Hughes. Calling hours will be Wednesday, March 17, 2021, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the McWilliams Funeral Home in Wellston. Funeral service will be Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 1 p.m. at the McWilliams Funeral Home with Pastor Dan Smith and Roger Hauck officiating. Burial will be in the Hamden Cemetery. For those who choose to attend the services, facial coverings are required inside the building along with the practice of social distancing.
Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.mcwilliams-funeralhome.com