Lois Mae Chalfant

Lois Mae (Swihart) Chalfant passed away suddenly on New Year’s Day 2025 at the age of 91. She was born July 18, 1933, in an old schoolhouse in Goshen, Indiana to Earl and Rosamond Swihart.

As the middle child in a large family, Lois grew up on the family farm near Goshen and had many happy memories of both hard work and fun during her childhood. She graduated from Millersburg High School and then Manchester College, in North Manchester, Indiana. At Manchester she met her first husband, Charles Keck. They had three children together but divorced in 1961. Lois married H. Paul Chalfant in 1966; he brought two children into the marriage. In 1974 Lois and Paul moved to Lubbock, Texas so that Paul could teach at Texas Tech University. Lois and Paul traveled widely, including trips to China, Australia, and eastern Europe, but Lois was always happiest at home. Paul passed away suddenly in 1994, and Lois remained in Lubbock, where she was teaching at Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District.

Lois taught first grade for over 30 years in both Indiana and Texas, enjoying the experience of helping young learners. She was an avid reader, Scrabble player, and cat lover; she was, she liked to say, just one cat short of being a crazy cat lady. Lois’s extended family and friends were important to her, and she traveled every year to Goshen to attend family and school reunions and renew her ties. Lois always considered Goshen her home. Lois was generous to all, loved a good joke (or a bad pun, depending on your perspective), and had a carefree attitude to life. (Her motto was what will be will be.)

Lois is survived by her children, Karen Keck (Norman Redington), Kathy Keck (Tim Peters), Canada Keck; her stepchildren, Craig (Sharon) Chalfant, and Marsha Chalfant; her brother Roy (Carolyn) Swihart; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Lois was preceded in death by her husband Paul; her parents; her sisters Alice Alvarez and Ruth Roig; her brothers Ray and Don Swihart; and her beloved friend Laverle Larimer.

Visitation will be Friday, January 17, 2024 at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home from 4-6pm. The funeral with be Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the Yoder-Culp Funeral Home in Goshen, Indiana with burial at Rock Run Cemetery in Goshen following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Heifer International, Alley Cat Allies, or the ASPCA. And to remember Lois, share a joke with your family.