Lois Ragan Prather, of Wahoo, Nebraska and a Brown County, Kansas native, died Tuesday morning, April 4, 2017, at Saunders Medical Center, in Wahoo, Nebraska.  She had lived the last 4 ½ years in Nebraska to be closer to family.

Lois was born, July 30, 1920, at Robinson, Kansas, the second of four children born to Walter Clarence and Daisy Mensen Ragan.  The family lived in the Zion neighborhood, northeast of Hiawatha, where she went to Heckler Grade School and graduated from Hiawatha High School with the class of 1938.  She went to all class reunions up until the last few years.  Family reunions were also treasured, and she attend all annual Koelliker reunions of her mothers family and desendants until she could no longer travel.  Lois moved to Kansas City, Missouri in the mid 1940’s where she worked as a sewing machine operator at Wilson Sporting Goods and later at G & L Bowling Supplies.

She met Ben Prather in Kansas City while working as a waitress, he being a frequent patron and they married April 29, 1951, at Hiawatha.  They made Kansas City their home and enjoyed square dancing, bowling, and camping with friends for many years.  He died in 1974. 

At that time she traveled extensively with friends and had many adventures with her good friend Dottie Freeman.  She made it to every state in the union and tried to visit every national Forrest, park and scenic attraction in the United States.  She traveled frequently by car doing a lot of the driving herself, but also by plane, cruise ship, ferries and trains.  She made several trips to the state of Alaska to visit her dear cousin Betty Hartley in Fairbanks.

She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, three brothers:  Orville Ragan, Newton Ragan, Wallace Ragan, nephew Ronald Ragan, and many friends.

Survivors include nephews:  Michael Ragan, Kevin Ragan; nieces Janet Misner, Cherrie Cejka, Candy Berridge; sister in law Glenda Ragan, 12 great nieces and nephews; many great-great-nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Lois’s life is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, at Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, Hiawatha, with interim pastor Kevin Rhea officiating.  Inurnment will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Hiawatha.

The family will meet with friends a half hour prior to services.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Lois Prather Memorial Fund, sent in care of the funeral home.

A special message or remembrance may be sent to the family at www.chapeloaksfuneralhome.com