Lois Elaine (Rueber) Cordes

May 16, 1939 ~ December 25, 2024 (age 85)

Lois Elaine Cordes, 85, of Strawberry Point, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, at MercyOne Medical Center in Waterloo. She was born on May 16, 1939, on her grandparents’ farm near Oelwein, the daughter of Arnold and Wilma (Brickman) Rueber.  Lois attended Putnam #11 Country School and then attended Arlington Schools and graduated from Arlington High School. Lois then attended and graduated from Wartburg College. She began her teaching career at the Monona Elementary School where she met the love of her life, Norman Cordes, at St. Paul Lutheran Church during choir practice.  

On June 28, 1959, Lois was united in marriage to Norman Cordes at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Arlington. Three children were born to this union. The family resided in Monona until 1965, when they moved to Strawberry Point. Lois taught for a short time at Strawberry Point. She then worked as a librarian for the Starmont Schools and for the city of Strawberry Point for 20+ years. Lois also kept the books for the family business, Cordes Oil Company.

Lois was a founding member of Mission In Christ Lutheran Church. She loved to read and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye sports fan. Lois loved watching her kids’ and grandkids’ sporting events. One of her favorite things to do was to go to the cabin at Harpers Ferry where she enjoyed fishing and sitting on the deck watching the water go by. Lois loved her family and cherished spending time with them.

Survivors include two children, Beth (Ben) Corell of Harpers Ferry and Jeff (Kara Sherman) Cordes of Strawberry Point; eight grandchildren, Wade (Azure) Corell, Travis (Brodie) Corell, Tyler (Lindsey) Corell, Ashton Fridley, Jared Cordes, Payton Cordes, Kaiel Scott, and A’riah Scott; seven great-grandchildren; three siblings, Doug (Marcia) Rueber of Arlington, Jan VanWyngarden of Austin, Texas, and Karen (Doug) Dahlberg of Los Fresnos, Texas; sister-in-law, Shari Rueber of Norwalk; brother-in-law, Doug (Paula) Cordes of Indiana; and many nieces and nephews.

Lois was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Norman Cordes; her daughter, Judi Cordes; two brothers, David Rueber and Darwin Rueber; and brother-in-law, Tom Van Wyngarden.

All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.