Lois Marie O'Neal

Lois O’Neal was born July 24, 1931 and was the 5th of 7 children born

to Otis and Mary Coon near Norwich, Kansas. She was the only child of

the seven children born in a hospital.

She grew up on the family farm near Norwich, Kansas.

She told her children many stories of trips to Wichita on the

Doodlebug train that passed by their family home.

After her graduation from Adam’s High School her

parents took her and her only classmate on a trip to Colorado. She

moved to Wichita and worked as a secretary. One day she found a

wallet and after contacting the aunt of the owner for its return, she

met her future husband of almost 52 years, Gerald O’Neal. They

married on December 2, 1951 in Wichita. They lived in El Dorado, KS

for a short time and it was there they welcomed their first daughter,

Cheryl. Shortly after, they moved back to Wichita where their other

three children, Gary, Dan and Gay were born.

In 1962, Gerald & Lois purchased a milk hauling route

and the family moved to Lebo, Kansas. In 1963, the family purchased a

home across from the Lebo Baptist Church that became their family home

for the next 41 years. Over the years, this home would become a beloved

member of the family. As a stay-at-home mother there were many days

of teaching sewing to her daughters, gardening & remodeling their

home. She was very creative and had many talents including crochet,

knitting, sewing, quilting, & crafting with her grandchildren. She dearly loved

being a grandma and she was a very good one.

After the passing of Gerald, she moved to Abilene, KS to be closer to

her daughter. She lived in Abilene for the next 12 years.

In 2016, she moved back to Emporia, closer to “home,”

where she lived the remainder of her life. She was loved dearly by

her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and will be

greatly missed.

Lois will live on in the hearts and memories of her children;

Cheryl Davis of Wichita; Gary O’Neal and his wife Joleen of Emporia,

KS.; Dan O’Neal and his wife Nisha of Oskaloosa, KS.; Gay Scanlan and her husband

Dave of Lenexa, KS.; grandchildren John Jr, Scott, Beckie, Ryan, Megan, McShane, McKabe, Cassie, Vance, Ian, Johanna, Shawn, Jordan and Leah; great grandchildren Tyler, Colvin,

Kalen, Brett, Liberty, Duke, McKendan, McKaleb, Sage, Juniper, Brynlee and

numerous step great grandchildren; a sister, Tessie Jane “Janie” Hibbs of

Murdock, KS.; a brother, William Coon of Kingman, KS.; many extended

family members and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her

husband, Gerald on September 29, 2003; a son-in-law, John Davis, Sr.; her parents; sisters, Mary Louise

and Phyllis; brothers, Otis Leon and Marvin.

Services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, June 6,

2023 at the Jones VanArsdale Funeral Home in Lebo. Graveside services

will be conducted at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday at Ashton Cemetery near Hope,

KS. The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 9:00 A.M. until

service time at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made

to Hand In Hand Hospice and sent in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be expressed at vanarsdalefs.com.