Lois Dempster

Lois Lorraine (Michaelson) Dempster, 85, of Orchard, Nebraska passed away on Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019 at the Plainview Manor in Plainview, NE.

A visitation will be at The United Methodist Church in Orchard, NE on Friday, April 19 from 5-7 PM.

Funeral Services will be on Saturday, April 20, at The United Methodist Church at 2:30 PM.

Burial will be in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery at Orchard.

Ashburn Mortuary in Orchard is in charge of the arrangements.

Lois was born on March 30, 1934 in Tilden, NE to Henry and Margaret (Dredge) Michaelson, the next to the youngest of 9 children.  She graduated from Neligh High School with scholastic honors in 1952 where she was also their high school majorette. She worked at the Corner Café, The Dime Store and in the Welfare Office all in Neligh before her marriage.

She was united in marriage Duard Dempster at the Congregational Church in Neligh on June 21, 1953. To this union 5 children were born, Valerie, Thomas, Steven, Denise and Michelle. Lois was a homemaker and very busy with raising these 5! They celebrated their 65 ^th wedding anniversary last June and she celebrated her 85 ^th birthday on her special day this year with a large gathering of family.

6 months after having Valerie, in Ft. Leonardwood, MO on the army base, she was a brave soul, traveling to Germany (at the young age of 20) with a baby to be united with Duard, who was stationed overseas with the army. They lived there for 18 months and had the opportunity to travel to several countries while they were there. That must have given her the travel bug as they enjoyed many great trips throughout their life together. They returned to the family farm where they have resided until present day.

Lois and daughter, Denise, opened a gift shop, This and That, in Orchard  and later opened a popular restaurant in 1992, Green Gables, close to the family farm where she baked a zillion of her famous pies and bread pudding, and enjoyed her fun staff and visits with the many customers! She was also known for her crazy Halloween costumes each year.

Lois and Duard wintered in South Padre Island, TX and loved every minute of it, for 19 years until she suffered a stroke in August of 2012.

She was very active in the community and the church. She belonged to Eastern Star, bowling leagues, Stitch & Chatter Club, band boosters, the church choir, Ladies Aid, bridge clubs and organized the Florence Welk Band. Her hobbies were gardening (she loved her flowers), canning, crafts, she was a tremendous baker and cook, loved to read and loved music, writing letters, crossword puzzles, traveling and their winter home in South Padre. Her whole family called her the baby whisperer. She was quiet, soft spoken, sweet as pie, and loved deeply. Her first love was her family who were everything to her as she was to us. She would do anything for any of them and worried about each one till the very end. Her family and friends loved her crazy sense of humor! Her second love was Husker football and coming in third was Willie Nelson.

Lois is survived of her husband of 65 years, Duard Dempster, 2 sons, Thomas & Brenda Dempster of Cave Creek, Arizona, Steven and Cheryl Dempster of Royal, Nebraska, 3 daughters, Valerie Dempster of O’Neill, NE, Denise and Bill Hartigan of Orchard, NE and Michelle and Lynn Rader of Royal, NE., 15 grandchildren, Gretchen Belzer, Katy and Don Doty, Stefanie and Enio Hernandez, and Makayla and Taylor Oltjenbruns, Brandon Dempster and Derek and Britney Dempster, Greg Dempster and Kelli Closson, Daniel and Amy Dempster, Shaun and Chantelle Dempster and Shelby and Elias Tunison, Haylie and Ryan Babl, Nathan and Jaimie Hartigan and Alex Hartigan, Jesse and Adele Rader and Sheena and Justin Mommens and 31 great grandchildren, Christopher, Breanna, Lisander, Mason, Audrianna, Kiptyn, Izabel, Makenna and Brooklee, Hallee and Oliver, Erin, Trevor, Zoey, Hunter, Steele, Liam and Quinn, Scarlett, Cecelia, Stetson, Ayden and Colee, Baylea, Braydon, Brooklyn, Melania, Cade, Lily, Cole and Knox and 1 great-great granddaughter, Reagan, 1 sister, Shirley Hopkins, 2 sisters-in-law Donna Michaelson and Shirley and Clif Erb and 1 brother-in-law, Dean Pearson and her friend and caregiver, Tamara Fox.

She was preceded in death by her parents, 7 brothers and sisters, Fern Henry, Alfred (Buzz) Michaelson, Harold Michaelson, Opal Boies, Dorothy Hansen, Irvin (Newt) Michaelson and Orville (Mike) Michaelson.