Lois Marie (Mohni) Berends

Lois Marie Berends passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at C.A Mues Good Samaritan Center, Arapahoe, Nebraska.   

Lois was born on October 14, 1931, at Everly, Iowa, to parents Ernest and Irene (Snell) Mohni.  On March 10, 1951 she was united in marriage to Leslie Everett Berends at Ocheyedan, Iowa. To this union three children were born. Les and Lois began their life together farming in central Iowa. After two years on the farm, Les took a job working on road construction, which for the next nearly 20 years took them and their family on an adventure living in numerous towns in seven states from Iowa to Montana to Colorado. In what would appear to be a challenging environment to raise a family, Lois created a safe, loving, supportive atmosphere in the home that allowed their children to thrive and succeed.  

In 1970, Les started his own earthmoving contracting business in Elizabeth, Colorado, where they finished raising their family and subsequently retired in 1996.  After retirement and moving to Indianola, Nebraska in 1998, she and Les enjoyed many years traveling and spending lots of time pursuing their passion for fishing at their lake cabin in Nebraska in the summer and in Aransas Pass, Texas for the winters.Lois spent the last two years of her life as a resident in the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Arapahoe, Nebraska, where she was known by staff and residents to be a loving, calming influence. Lois will be always be fondly remembered as a loving and devoted wife and mother, and for her warm smile and twinkle in her eye when she was being mischievous. 

Lois is survived by her sister-in-law Sharon Mohni; brother-in-law Bill Manitz; her children Bruce Berends and wife Sue, Kent Berends and wife Karen, Lynn Witte and husband Joe; grandchildren Leah McCurdy and husband Mike, Russell Berends and wife Amanda, Kelly Backlund and husband Jesse Watson, Kendra Forney and husband Scott, Kerri Bell and husband Sylvan, Kelsey Ullom and husband Dustin, Tyler Sewell and Sarah Sweeterman, Jared Sewell and wife Katie and 15 great-grandchildren. 

She is preceded in death by her husband Leslie (Les), father Ernest Mohni, Mother Irene and step father Lawrence (Jack) Sjostrom, sister Doris Manitz and brother Ray Mohni. 

Services will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at the United Methodist Church in Indianola, Nebraska at 2:00 PM with Pastor David Kim officiating.  Interment will follow at the Indianola Cemetery. Friends may leave on-line condolences at lockenourfh.com.  Memorials may be left in Lois’s name to either the Good Samaritan Home of Arapahoe or the United Methodist Church 

Lockenour Jones Mortuary of Cambridge, NE is entrusted with the arrangements. 

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