Lois D. Emerson

Stricken with systemic vasculitis, an autoimmune disease, Lois courageously kept a sense of humor, lovingly maintained ties with family and friends and stubbornly held on to life as her body failed her.

She was born Aug. 9, 1950, at Jerome, Idaho, to Earl and Dorothy Weeks. Raised on a farm, she took her turn with the chores and helping care for most of her seven brothers.

Lois graduated from Kimberly High School in 1968 and attended the College of Southern Idaho. She married Paul M. Emerson Feb. 21, 1969. They spent two years in Pocatello and moved to Lewiston in 1972 when Paul joined the news staff of the Lewiston Tribune. She moved to Clarkston in 2010 and has resided at Kindred Transitional Care in Lewiston the past two years.

She started working in medical offices soon after marriage and continued to do so until illness forced her retirement in 1999. During that time, she managed several medical practices and took special pride in teaching adjunct classes in the medical office field for 16 years at Lewis-Clark State College. She served on advisory committees for LCSC and the state of Idaho. In following years she often encountered former students who found jobs in the medical field after starting in her classes.

Lois was a devoted mother, never missing an athletic event, concert or band tour, even if it meant driving solo through a snowstorm to Boise to watch a football game. She enjoyed her association with Paul's colleagues at the Tribune and his peers in the newspaper business.

An excellent athlete in her youth, she played in the state tennis tournament in high school, pitched for a state-championship slowpitch team in Lewiston and coached two league-championship girls slowpitch teams.

She toured on motorcycles with Paul, riding her own Moto Guzzi and BMW throughout the Northwest and Canadian Rockies. She loved fly fishing the Lochsa River and staying at Three Rivers Resort with her family or camping alongside Kelly Creek.

As illness robbed her of those activities, she enjoyed reading on her Kindle, watching the Mariners and Seahawks and loudly whooping over home runs or criticizing managerial decisions. She had hoped to live long enough to see Hillary Clinton elected president.

She stayed involved with her family, never hesitating to offer guidance and her love or to bark an order, when called for.

She is survived by her husband, Paul; a daughter, Sarah House (Erik Berger) of Clarkston; and granddaughter Jacqueline House; a son, Andrew Emerson (Daniella); and grandchildren Stella and Ryan, all of Boise.

She also is survived by brothers David (Paula), Doug (Laura), Rodney and Larry Weeks, of Kimberly, Idaho, and Joe (Linda) and Roger Weeks, of Kuna, Idaho. She was preceded in death by a brother, Dan Shelton, and her parents.

Her family wishes to thank the staffs at Kindred, St. Joe's and the office of Dr. Dan McIntosh for their loving care during her long illness.

A service will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 7 at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home in Lewiston, followed by a reception at 2 p.m. at the Quality Inn at Clarkston.