Lois Kerr

Lois Kerr, age 95, of Yankton, South Dakota, died Thursday, September 19, 2024, at her home while on hospice.

As Lois requested no services will be held. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Yankton, South Dakota.

Lois Kerr was the born to Frederick and Bertha (Wright) Wagner at home on the family farm in central Ohio, the youngest of six children. She attended public school in Homer, Ohio, graduating in 1946. She attended a branch of Ohio University and after her first year transferred to Kent State University because of their journalism school but wound up with a double major in psychology and sociology and a degree in secondary education. She would later receive a two-year associate degree in mental health in one semester from McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. Growing up on the farm she learned patience. The family had a small dairy farm and early on Lois was given her own cow. By saving the money from selling the milk she was able to pay for all of her college.

Between her junior and senior years at Kent State she married Tom Fiedler. After graduation they moved to Dallas, Texas where Tom went to law school at SMU and Lois went to work. They eventually adopted two sons and divorced in 1963. Lois went into intensive counselling following the divorce and part of her therapy was to write. This resulted in two books of poetic prose: “The Sound of Silence” and “The Many Faces of Love”. Music held a large place in her life: she was an accomplished pianist and sang in Kent State’s accapella choir. She took violin lessons and early screeching practices sent her father running to the barn.

Trying to figure out what to do with her life, it was suggested she go to seminary. Having looked at and discarding a lot of other options, this felt right, and she enrolled at the Presbyterian Seminary with the intent of a counseling ministry. The first week there, there was a knock on her door, and she opened it to find a tall, stranger bearing flowers to welcome her to Austin and the seminary. Bill Kerr had come to call, and an old-fashioned courtship began. She always felt God thought Bill needed looking after and she was chosen to do the job. She began 50 years of a rich marriage based on total respect and unconditional love for each other.

In her ‘heyday’, Lois was a gourmet cook and they entertained often. Bill acting as host and Lois manning the stove. Holidays with family and friends were more than mere meals, they were events! (For example, a 20-pound standing prime rib complete with Yorkshire pudding.)

After moving to Waco, her work outside the home was in midmanagement and volunteer work was at the VA hospital, a huge hospital for mental patients. She worked with group therapy and learned how deeply troubled the Vietnam Veterans were. PTSD was not known as such yet.

Her final job was the that of instructor /coordinator in the continuing education department of McLennan Community College where she designed classes for professionals needing CE units to maintain their licenses, as well as supervising courses for nurse aides and medication aides. After moving to Yankton, she worked as an aide in the Head Start Program and served on the boards of the Yankton Concert Association and the Community Relations Board of the Federal Prison Camp. 

Lois was a private person and comfortable in her own skin. She believed in kindness, in giving second chances, self-discipline and that the hardest thing in the world for anyone is to learn how to wait. A good listener… her third ear was almost always in the “on” mode.

She is survived by her sons: Lou Fiedler of Waco, Texas and Dr. Jim (Jenn) Kerr of Yankton; 11 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; nieces: Dr. Barbara (Nor) Pazey of Little Elm, Texas and Beth (Bernie) Rappel of Bella Vista Arkansas; best friend, Judy Bettendorf of St. Coud, Minnesota; Joan (Jerry) Boudreau of Gulfport, Mississippi; Dr. Donna “Ace” (Rick) George of Waco, Texas; Sue Gerlinski of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania; Connie (Harlon) Grackel of Yankton; Jay and Carol Williams of Yankton and Dave and Kristy Wyland of Yankton.