Lois Hetmansperger, 94

Lois C. Hetmansperger, 94, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011, at Sturgis Hospital in Sturgis.

She was born June 12, 1917, in Spencerville, Ind., to the late Menno and Zula (Sponhower) Gerig.

She married Duane F. Hetmansperger on Aug. 3, 1966, in the “Little Brown Church in the Vale” in Nashua, Iowa. He preceded her in death on March 4, 2011.

Surviving are brothers, Rev. Dale (Beth) Gerig of Sturgis and Dr. Zenas (Esther) Gerig of Lowell; sister, Adah Ruth (John) Imler of Citrus Heights, Calif.; sister-in-law, Mary Gerig of Ft. Wayne, Ind.; brother-in-law, Marlen (Reta) Hetmansperger of Three Rivers, Mich.; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Eunice Gay; and brothers Paul, Matthias, Maurice and Ardon Gerig.

She graduated from Spencerville High School and Ft. Wayne Bible College. After spending over 15 years as a home missionary in the southeastern mountains of Kentucky, she moved to Sturgis, in 1956 where she worked in the Missionary Church and also for the Kirsch Company for 12 years. She then started the Christian Supply Center where she met her future husband, Duane Hetmansperger. Together, they continued the ministry of the store until they retired in 1989 and moved to Auburn, Ind. After Duane’s passing in March, Lois moved back to Sturgis at the end of July to be closer to her family.

She was a member of the Auburn Alliance Church and an Auxiliary member of Gideon’s International. She also worked a number of years with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Funeral services celebrating the life of Lois will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, with calling one hour prior at Sturgis Missionary Church (67080 N. M-66) Sturgis, with Pastors Shaun Dufault and Bob Renner officiating. Burial will be held at Mendon Cemetery, Mendon.

Memorials to Gideon’s International & Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Arrangements by Carnahan-Baidinger & Walter Funeral Home, Spencerville, Ind.