Lois Tillinghast

Lois Fern (Shellenberger) Tillinghast was born January 27, 1923, at Bushong, Kansas, and died Friday, March 2, 2012. She was the daughter of Charles Fred and Flossie (Linekar) Shellenberger. She had one sister, Una Maude, and one brother, Glenn Edward. She graduated from Bushong High School in 1940 and from Emporia State in 1944 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business. She did graduate work at Kansas State University, Kansas University, Fort Hays, and Western State College at Gunnison, Colorado. She taught school in Harveyville and Clifton/Clyde. She retired in 1985 after teaching for 22 years. She married Henry Scott Tillinghast in 1947. They had four sons, Henry Jr., Herbert, John, and Karl. Lois was a member of the Faith United Presbyterian church, Presbyterian Women, American Legion Auxiliary, a former member of the Ladies of the Moose, The Concordia Star Lighters Dance Club, and Eastern Star. She was a quilter, an artist and loved to read. Lois was preceded in death by her husband Henry, parents, sister and brother. She is survived by her four sons and their families: Henry Jr. and Phyllis and their children Jennifer and Robert Johnson; and Renata and Keven Fears, all of Ottawa, KS. Herbert and Linda of Kansas City, Missouri, and their son Andrew and Jennifer of Macungie, Pennsylvania. John and Debra of Clifton, and their children Heather and Brad Oentrich of Abilene, and Zachary of Ogden, Utah, and Ian and Abbie of Billings, Montana. Karl and Sue and children Matt and Jill, and Kyle and Lindsay all of Lincoln, Nebraska. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren; Oliver Tillinghast, Shelby, & Brytin Fears; Larson and Shayden Johnson; Blake and Sean Tillinghast; Ava, Grady, and Eliot Oentrich; Amelia Tillinghast; Owen and Edward Tillinghast; and special friend Arnold Lohmeyer. A celebration of life for Lois will be held Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at the Faith United Presbyterian Church in Clifton. Visitation will be at the church on Wednesday, March 7 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research at KSU and may be sent in care of the funeral home.