L. Lois (Crowther) Stratford Obituary (1925 - 2021)

Laura Lois Crowther Stratford, 95, passed away of natural causes on August 12, 2021, at her home and with her three daughters surrounding her. Lois was born to William Leslie Crowther and Laura Laverna Taylor Crowther on September 18, 1925. She was a life-long Ogden resident where she attended Weber County schools and graduated from Weber High School. She married her high school sweetheart, Keith Battle Stratford, on October 22, 1942, and their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake City Temple on November 17, 1943. Throughout her life, family and friends were the centerpiece of her activities, her world, and her love. She had a singular ability to befriend others who were drawn to her and her warm, outgoing personality as they felt her genuine interest in and caring for them. And many of those who were blessed by her warmth frequently and genuinely referred to her as a "grand lady." For more than 75 years she and a group of close friends regularly met together at each other's homes, to socialize, to share, and to support each other, in what became known, simply, as "Club." Her beautiful handiwork, including crocheting and needlework, was shared with numerous family members, friends, and others - including "the Club girls," as Lois called them - earning her near-legendary status for her self-taught skills, abilities, and talents, in addition to her widespread generosity and constant willingness to share them. She created countless afghans, quilts, doilies, placemats, needlepoint artworks, and others, and those creations continue to decorate countless homes. Lois's family was the absolute center of her life and love. Husband, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws all felt and were blessed by the warm and caring attention she paid to each. For many years, Sunday evening gatherings at her home were an eagerly awaited event by her family, where they all enjoyed and renewed those relationships, along with her multiple, and famous, desserts. She was a marvelous cook, never using recipes, and family members have been entirely unable to match her amazing pie shells. She also enjoyed other activities, including fishing, gardening, and raising flowers, and she reached out to serve others as a life-long, dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in multiple capacities, including Relief Society President, along with President of the Young Women's MIA and Primary President. She also served as president of the Weber County Young Homemakers. Lois is survived by her children Chyrrl Wayment (Glynn), Roger Stratford (Pam), Sue Haslam (Craig), Scott Stratford (Sherie), Shellie Shupe (Todd), and daughter-in-law JaNae McCormick. She also has 28 grandchildren, 95 great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Keith Battle Stratford, son Gordon Stratford, granddaughter Holly Shupe, great-granddaughter Makena Burton, sister Florence Brown, and brothers Lorin, Leslie, Carl, and Boyd Crowther. The family wishes to give very special thanks to Tammy Buckway and Angie Mclemore at Encompass Hospice and especially Dr. Seth Lewis for his attentive and professional care for Lois over the years. Family and friends may attend a viewing on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Myers Mortuary-Ogden, 845 Washington Blvd., Ogden, Utah. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. in the Wilson Ward chapel, 2333 South 2700 West, West Haven, Utah. Friends and family also may gather at the chapel for a viewing, from 9:30 to 10:30, prior to the service. Burial will take place in the West Weber Cemetery. Family and friends also can watch a live stream of the funeral services on August 18 at 11:00 a.m., by scrolling to the bottom of Lois's obituary page on the Myers website at www.myers-mortuary.com, where condolences also may be shared with the family. If unable to watch at that time, the service will be on the Myers Mortuary website indefinitely. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made the National Kidney Foundation of Utah & Idaho (www.kidneyut.org) and the National Hemophilia Foundation (www.hemophilia.org), organizations very dear to Lois and her family.