Written by Dr. Stephanie J. Jass
Longtime Cottage Colony resident and former staff member Lois (Klitzing) Breimeier passed away in February at the age of 97, and her long life impacted many, including me. My first summer on staff at Camp Arcadia was in 1989. Lois’ husband Ken Breimeier had agreed to serve as Interim Camp Director that summer, and although Ken had the title, Lois did a lot of work with and alongside the staff. She was also caring for Ken’s mother that summer, so she had a lot on her plate, but serving was part of her nature. I was delighted to learn that she and Ken had met as staffers in the 1940s, and I asked her many questions about what it was like to work in those days. (Camp work has always been hard – and Lois had to wash dishes by hand!)
After Ken’s summer as Director, he became the pastor at Trinity, with Lois again at his side complimenting his ministry. She played the organ and directed the choir, and did it all with her unique sense of joy and mischief. It was at Trinity that I got to know her even better; I often sang solos for various services or weddings, and our rehearsals by the organ were filled with a lot of laughter. Most times we did a lot more cackling than rehearsing! But she loved music as much as she loved to laugh, and her choices of anthems and service music always enhanced the worship experience. She often downplayed her skills as an organist, but she was a talented musician and her choir rehearsals were both fun AND productive. She and Ken served Trinity faithfully for many years, and they added so much life to the church, the community, and the Cottage Colony.
In graduate school, I had the privilege of interviewing Lois about her background. I was taking an Oral History class, and I wanted to investigate the stories of women who had attended college during WWII when there were so few men in school. During that time, female students took leadership roles all over campuses, but after the war they had very few opportunities for meaningful work or leadership, and I was interested in how they navigated that shift. Lois was one of the women I interviewed, and my conversation with her was fascinating – I came away with such an appreciation for the person she had been and continued to be.
Lois revealed that she did struggle with the lack of choices for women, but, being Lois, she made the best of it. She started college at Valparaiso University, but family finances forced her to return home to attend Illinois State Normal, which provided free education for women who wanted to be teachers. She vividly described the tension she felt knowing that she really didn’t want to be a teacher, but still wanting a college education. She studied music and French because she loved them, but as her graduation approached, she started to panic because she was expected by the school to make a commitment to a profession in education. She desperately appealed to a kind administrator, who suggested library work, and “saved my life,” according to Lois. Instead of becoming a teacher, she took classes in Library Science and worked in church libraries.
When I asked her what career she might have pursued if there were more options for women at the time, she thought for a bit and said, “Forestry.” Initially I was sad that she hadn’t gotten to pursue that field, but then I looked around at where she lived, in her cottage in the midst of the pines, and realized that she had done it in her own right. She and Ken built their cottage in the forest, and they were among the first Cottage Colony residents to live there year round. Lois loved the outdoors in summer and winter and she avidly supported the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. Her only regret might have been that it was nearly impossible to read a book, listen to classical music, and take a hike simultaneously.
When my mom June used to cross country ski, she would often find that someone had already created a path in the snow that she could follow. Who was that trailblazer? Lois Breimeier, of course.
One Response
Stephanie,
I love that you used the word mischief. because Lois delighted in mischief. Her dry wit and humor always brought a smile and laugh. Her independence, strength and love of life made her an idol of mine.
Thank you for your tribute.
Nancy Berg