Lois Gekeler

Lois M. Gekeler, age 65 of Janesville, died on Monday, July 30, 2012 at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.   Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 4th at 11:00 A.M. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville, with Rev. Dr. Larry Griffin, officiating. Interment will be in the St. John's Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Iosco Township, Waseca County.   Visitation will be held on Friday from 4 to 8 P.M. at Arnoldt-McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory in Janesville, and will continue on Saturday morning for one hour prior to services at church.   Lois Marie was born on October 11, 1946 to Albert and Edna (Heckes) Ganiere in Albert Lea, Minnesota. She attended New Richland-Hartland School and later in life earned her GED. On July 12, 1963 she was united in marriage to Marlyn C.H. Gekeler at First Lutheran Church in Northwood, Iowa. Lois and Marlyn lived in Waseca and Mankato for a short time before moving their family to Janesville in 1968. She worked for various companies in the Janesville and Mankato area including; Monsanto, Janesville Creamery, Dotson Foundry, Miller Motors and the Region Nine Development Commission as a bookkeeper before retiring in 2010. Lois was a longtime member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville. She enjoyed camping and traveling with friends, gardening, playing cards, board games, sewing and spending time with her grandchildren and attending their events. Lois will be greatly missed by her family and friends.   She is survived by her husband Marlyn Gekeler of Janesville; by her three children, Kristine (David) Johnson of Hartland, Kimberly Christenson and special friend Troy Murphy of Waseca and Terry (Andrea) Gekeler of Germantown, OH; by her eleven grandchildren, Cody (Bernadette) Yard, Hailey, Presley and Aubrey Johnson, Kelly Christenson and special friend Anthony Ingram, Karissa Christenson and fiance Curtis Berry and Kolten Christenson, Kelsey Pilaczynski, Logan and Zachary Gekeler and Alex Loeffler; by her mother-in-law, Beatrice Gekeler of Waseca; by her sisters, Donna (Keith) Beck of Waseca and Brenda (Mark) Routh of New Richland; by her brother, Larry Ganiere of Des Moines, IA; by her brothers-in-law, Merlen Gekeler and Harlan (Gini) Gekeler all of Waseca; by her sisters-in-law, Cheryleen Mullerleile, Maureen (Dale) Sonday, Doreen (Robert) Hoffman all of Waseca; by many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents; by her brother David Ganiere; by her father-in-law Harold Gekeler. Casket Bearers are: Cody Yard, Kolten Christenson, Zachary Gekeler, Kurtiss Beck, Mike Santo and Andrew Routh. Honorary Bearers are Lois's granddaughters: Hailey Johnson, Presley Johnson, Aubrey Johnson, Kelly Christenson, Karissa Christenson, Kelsey Pilaczynski and Logan Gekeler.