Lois Marie Djock

Lois Djock, 84, of Eau Claire, passed away after a final round with cancer on Thursday, November 1, 2018. She was born Lois Marie Anderson on August 3, 1934, in Bone Lake, Wisconsin. She was the fifth of Andrew and Ruby Anderson’s nine children. The family later moved to a small family farm near Frederic, Wisconsin. She shared fond memories with her siblings of life on the farm, including trying to figure out the Norwegian curse words her father would use when dealing with stubborn dairy cows. Lois graduated from Frederic High School in 1952. She met her husband, Charles Djock, at a dance and they married on September 8, 1956. Lois worked for a short time as a nursing assistant at Frederic Hospital, and even assisted a doctor with delivering a baby. Lois and Charlie moved to the Eau Claire area in the 1960s when Charlie was hired as a civil engineer for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. They built their house on five acres of land in 1967 near Fanny Hill, where they raised a family, grew a large garden and berry patch, and enjoyed the peaceful privacy of their surroundings, delightedly shared with wildlife, especially their beloved birds. Lois was a busy homemaker, managing the household, raising four children, and tending a garden and multiple flowerbeds. Playing the organ was a relaxing escape for her, and her love for her family was baked right into the pies she made (best crusts ever) as well as her signature item, Special K bars, which were expected at every family reunion. She liked to collect cookbooks and teddy bears, and was well known for her love of everything Christmas. It was her favorite holiday, and no one could outdo her yuletide decorations. She also enjoyed treasure hunting at garage sales and thrift stores, a pastime her daughters inherited from her and shared with her in many weekends spent happily searching for great bargains. Lois loved spending time with her siblings, particularly her sisters, and was a regular participant in an annual get-together called the Sister Act, which was a weekend-long sleepover filled with card games, coffee, memories, Ole & Lena jokes, lefse, and laughter. In 1969, when she was 34 years old, Lois found a lump on her breast. It was diagnosed as an aggressive form of breast cancer and she underwent a radical mastectomy followed by radiation treatment. At that time, the average survival rate was five years. Defying the odds and with the support of her husband and family, Lois went on to raise her two youngest daughters and live a full life, including a grand European tour and a Caribbean cruise in her later years. As a truly empathetic person who wanted to help others in need, Lois volunteered with the American Cancer Society through the Reach to Recovery program for many years. By sharing her own experiences, she was able to provide comfort and hope to other women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. WEAU TV-13 even filmed a segment featuring Lois in the late 1970s! She proudly walked a few times in the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk in the Twin Cities, serving as an inspiration to others. Her health was eventually impacted by side effects from the surgery and treatment, but she showed the resilience for which she is known. At the end of her life, she developed pancreatic cancer. The family wishes to thank the following for their help and compassion shown to Lois and her family during her last months of life: Dr. Thomas Sandager of Marshfield Clinic Lake Hallie Center; Dr. Muhammad Muslim of Marshfield Clinic Cancer Center; St. Joseph’s Hospital Home Health and Hospice, particularly John and Anna; and caregiver Chris Jalbert. Lois is survived by her husband, Charles; her four children: Denise (Thomas) Eha of Elk River, Minnesota, Jeffery (Marianne) Djock of Appleton, Wisconsin, Andrea (Michael) Berger of Golden Valley, Minnesota, and Stephanie (Brian) Djock of St. Paul, Minnesota; her six grandchildren: Sara (Jesse) Toppins, Matthew Djock, Emily (Cas) Djock, Danielle (Jason) Eha, Alexander Eha, and Andrew Eha; her three great-grandchildren: Ethan and Henry Toppins and Isabella Etter; her two sisters, Norma (Kenneth) Zittleman and Sandra (Dennis) McKee; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Marian and Audrey; and her brothers, Arvid, Donald, Roger, and Douglas; and her great-granddaughter Evelyn Toppins. Mass of Christian Burial will be at Noon, on Thursday, November 8, 2018, at St. James the Greater Catholic Church, where Lois and Charlie were lifelong members, 2502 11th St. Eau Claire, with Father Tom Krieg officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm, on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at the WEST CHAPEL of Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home, 1405 N. Clairemont Ave. Eau Claire, and again one hour prior to Mass on Thursday at the church. Entombment will be at the Resurrection Chapel Mausoleum in Calvary Cemetery, Eau Claire. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Service Information

Visitation

Wednesday, November 7 2018
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn West Chapel
1405 N. Clairemont Ave
Eau Claire WI 54703

Visitation

Thursday, November 8 2018
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

St. James the Greater Catholic Church
2502 11th Street
Eau Claire WI 54703

Mass

Thursday, November 8 2018
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

St. James the Greater Catholic Church
2502 11th Street
Eau Claire WI 54703