Lois Pifer

Lois Margaret Pifer, age 96, of Henderson Township, Reynoldsville, passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning hours of April 18, 2023, at the home of her daughter Eloise Kosko in Luthersburg.

She was born on October 1, 1926 in Winslow Township, Jefferson County, the daughter of the late Willis H. Strouse and Amy Jane (Beck) Strouse. She shared the same birthday, October 1, with her dad.

One March 11, 1955, she married Hayes Allen Pifer, and they enjoyed 22 years of marriage until his death on August 27, 1977.

Lois graduated from Reynoldsville High School in 1944 and was the Valedictorian of her high school class. She then worked as a bookkeeper for Dennison Brothers Chevrolet in Reynoldsville for ten years before she was married. She also worked as a stenographer for four legislative sessions in Harrisburg at the State Capitol in 1945, 1947, 1949 and 1951.  After raising her seven children, she worked as a Clerk Typist II for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare in Jefferson County before retiring in December of 1991.

Lois was a very active and faithful member of the Paradise Community United Church of Christ, where she served as treasurer in many church organizations and sang in the Church Choir. She also was the secretary for the Grace United Methodist Church and the First English Lutheran Church both of Punxsutawney for a number of years.

Lois was a member of the Henderson Grange #1315, the Penn State Cooperation Extension Committee and the Jefferson County Farm Bureau. She was very proud to serve as a Volunteer Leader for the Henderson 4-H Club and the Gateway 4-H Club for 46 years. Lois also loved to enter baked goods, canned goods, vegetables, flowers and knitted and crocheted items at the Jefferson County Fair, the Sykesville Ag & Youth Fair, the Clarion County Fair, the Indiana County Fair and the Dayton Fair. She really loved working outdoors and especially liked gathering eggs from her chickens and feeding her cats. She was a very dependable person and loved working on projects with her children and grandchildren. Lois was also very interested in the Pifer and Strouse family genealogy, and she enjoyed visiting and traveling.

Lois is survived by her seven children: Eloise Kosko and her husband Victor of Luthersburg, Cynthia Peace of Stump Creek, Lydia Crooks and her husband James of Clarion, Janet Eastman and her husband Harold of Biglerville, Brian Pifer and his wife Susan of LeRaysville, Faith Newman and her husband Russell of Indiana and Ross Pifer and his wife Rachel of Bellefonte; 18 grandchildren, 5 step-grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and 17 step-great grandchildren. She is also survived by one sister, Gladys Peace of DuBois and a special friend, Michelle Pifer of Reynoldsville.

In addition to her parents and husband, Lois was preceded in death by four brothers, King, Earl, Bruce and Willis J. Strouse; two sisters: Grace and Alice Peace; and two sons-in-law: E. Russell Rice. Jr. and Gregory W. Peace.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 20, 2023 from 2-4 and 6-8pm at the Shumaker Funeral Home, Inc. Big Run.  An additional hour of viewing will be held on Friday, April 21 from 10am until the hour of services at the church.

A funeral service will be held at 11am on Friday, April 21, 2023 at the Paradise Community United Church of Christ with Pastor Barry Fillman officiating. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery at the Paradise Church.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Paradise Community United Church of Christ or the Jefferson County 4-H Club Scholarship Fund.  Checks for the 4-H fund should be made payable to Penn State and sent to the Penn State Extension Office at 186 Main St. Suite 3, Brookville, PA 15825.

Online tributes can be made at www.shumakerfh.com

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