Written by Wendy Ambrose
CNN news was airing a show about “Who has influenced your life?”. Reporters were telling who had encouraged them and who had been mentors to them. MN FCCLA lost a special lady this week.
For many years, I worked along side Lois Hagel as she was the Director of MN HERO. In the early years of the we worked together in the Dept of Education building when it was 550 Cedar Street. We worked together at Inver Grove Heights in an elementary school classrooms where all the CTSO Executive Directors worked from. We shared a lot of conferences, national meeting travel plans and worked with students and teachers in FHA (FLA), HEART and HERO and FCCLA. When you work long hours and situations of conference “stress” you come to know another person pretty well. Yellow was her favorite color in flowers.
Lois was fun to work with, and worked with integrity, optimism, and sincerity. Lois has been remembered by many facebook posts as a gem, a special lady, a true good hearted person, a caring professional, dedicated and “sweet lips”. If you came to her with a problem, she always made you feel you were listened to, even if she could not solve your issue. She had a special way of customer service. She cared about everyone- it did not matter who you were. She cared. Her husband Leroy was a true friend to the organization also as he helped with conferences, offering his carpentry and wood working skills as fixing things, and for me “dog sitting” or whatever was needed.
Lois will be missed and she is a fine example of the “Encourage the Heart” exemplary leadership trait. She was a wonderful example of the family and consumer sciences’ teacher spirit. Her husband Leroy said “Lois’s heart was always in her work and a scholarship in her honor would be a wonderful way to honor her memory.” We honor her memory with a scholarship fund for MN FCCLA students to be used for national conference funding. More details will be available soon for an online donation site for this scholarship and checks can also be sent to MN FCCLA at PO 131386, Roseville, MN 55113.
The Service celebrating Lois’ life will be Jan 28, Thursday at 11:00 am at the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Medina, MN. Visitation will begin at 9:30 am.
Link to the service information:
http://www.memorialsolutions.com/sitemaker/memsol_data/2280/1737216/1737216_2280.pdf
