Lola L. Childs
April 28, 1933–January 25, 2025
Lola L. Childs, aged 91, of Marquette, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her loving family.
Lola was born on April 28, 1933, in Haney Township, near Barnum. She was the beloved daughter of William and Gladys (Snodgrass) Lund and a devoted sister to her late siblings William (Bill) Lund, Jr., Clyde Lund and Tanda Featherston.
Raised on a small farm, she enjoyed outdoor activities such as riding horses, helping her father with chores, 4-H and spending time with her brothers in playful teasing.
Lola married Raymond Childs on Sept. 17, 1949, at the Congregational Church in Boscobel. They shared 67 wonderful years of marriage until Raymond’s passing in 2017.
Together, they had eight children, three of whom predeceased them: Marla Kay, Sandra Jean, and Michael LeRoy. Also passing before her was a dear foster daughter, Marie Russell.
Lola is survived by her five remaining children: Vicki Whalen, Laurie Richardson, Cindy Ihde (Dennis Pedretti), Shelly Childs, and Sally (Todd) Kann. She held a very special maternal role for her grandson, Nathan Childs, and great-grandson, Trenton Childs.
She is further survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, all of whom she deeply cherished.
Lola and Ray began their life together on a farm they bought near Boscobel. While Ray was busy working various jobs on the road, Lola stayed busy raising the children and tending to the farm chores. After ten years, they sold the farm and eventually moved into the family quarters of the Sheriff’s Department after Raymond was elected as the Crawford County Sheriff.
Lola was hard-working and determined, playing a significant role in the management of the Sheriff’s Department. She completed various courses that enabled her to perform well in that position. She acquired skills such as shorthand, typing and filing, among others.
Lola also served as the matron responsible for female prisoners and occasionally assumed the role of radio operator.
Additionally, she prepared meals for the prisoners daily, sometimes feeding up to 20 or more prisoners three times a day. Meanwhile, she was also raising six children, sewing their school clothes, serving as a Cub Scout Leader and managing other daily tasks associated with being a mother of six.
Lola was a dedicated Christian and an active participant in the PdC United Methodist Church. She attended services regularly on Sundays, taught Sunday School for nearly 35 years and was an active member of the United Methodist Women’s group (UMW), taking part in many of their retreats over the years.
For over 30 years, she organized funeral luncheons at the church, recognizing their significance to grieving families due to her own experience with loss. Additionally, Lola and her daughter Vicki even coordinated a Puppet Ministry as just another way to bring the Word of God to the young and old alike.
One of Lola’s passions included taking part in mission work camps sponsored by the Wisconsin Volunteers in Mission through the United Methodist Church. Over the years, Lola attended more than 30 of these camps alongside some of her fellow church members. Ray joined her for many of them and soon she began to include her children and grandchildren. These camps forged lasting friendships, which Lola cherished deeply. They also took her to every corner of the United States and even Israel.
Among the notable work camps were: rebuilding homes in Biloxi, Miss., following Hurricane Katrina; in Sumpter, S.C., after Hurricane Hugo, she and her grandson repaired a severely damaged soup kitchen, served meals, and repaired the homes of many of the poor; in Colorado, they repaired a church; in Maine they built and repaired homes for the poor; and in Israel they worked on a school for the poor.
In 1976, Ray and Lola bought The New Frontier Motel, in Marquette, Iowa.
Lola enjoyed being a business owner. She soon bought one of the very first home computers and enrolled in computer classes, achieving computer skills way ahead of both her children and peers.
After transferring ownership of the motel to her daughter and son-in-law in 1989, Lola dedicated more time to her grandchildren and to her mission work camps. Eventually, though, she returned to work at the motel, as she did not like retirement.
She continued working at the motel until she broke her hip and had to retire at the age of 84.
Lola’s later years were spent enjoying family gatherings for holidays, birthdays, etc. She loved having company, playing lots of different games including Yahtzee and putting together many, many puzzles. She read her Bible daily, kept regular devotions, and even though she didn’t attend the church services in person any longer, she listened to them every Sunday on the radio.
No matter what she was doing, Lola approached life with enthusiasm and a passion for learning and growth. Lola leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, generosity and joy. Her life was a testament to her faith in Jesus Christ. She touched the hearts of many, and her memory will live on in the stories and the cherished moments shared by her family and friends.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, friends may call at the United Methodist Church in Prairie du Chien for Visitation from 10 a.m. until noon (2 hours).
The Memorial Service will be held on the same day starting at noon with Pastor Zach Bloom officiating.
Private interment will be held at a later date at the Haney Ridge Cemetery, near Barnum.
The Garrity Funeral Home of Prairie du Chien is assisting the family. www.garrityfuneralhome.com
