Lois M. Pelzer

December 26, 1933 - February 1, 2022

Lois Mae (Barthel) Pelzer, 88, formerly of Fort Ripley, MN passed away peacefully at Woodland Good Samaritan Society in Brainerd, MN on February 1, 2022. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Belle Prairie, MN with Father Mark Botzet officiating. Burial will be in the Parish Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 AM on Saturday at the church. Caring for Lois and her family is the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN. Lois Mae Barthel was born on December 26, 1933, in Swanville, MN. She was raised on a farm by her parents, Henry and Marie (Mootz) Barthel, and it was during this time her love of animals was fostered. She graduated from Swanville High School after being crowned Homecoming Queen with the class of 1951. Lois was united in marriage to Marcellus (Marc) Pelzer on July 16, 1953, and shared 61 years together until his passing in 2015. They moved to several towns in central Minnesota during their early years, and finally settled on a hobby farm in Fort Ripley. Lois enjoyed nothing more than being a homemaker and raising their 4 children. She instilled in us the importance of love, kindness, family, and faith. As a homemaker, she shared with us her love of cooking, baking, gardening, and canning. She also introduced those talents to her grandchildren as well and would spend hours cleaning up after them. She made sure no one left the table hungry. Lois's love of God was also passed down to us all through her 50+ years as a parishioner at Belle Prairie Catholic Church. Lois's second love was the many horses and mules she raised. She loved everything about them, including riding, competing in horse shows, and just being around them. When she wasn't busy with the horses, she could be found either putting jigsaw puzzles together or sweeping! Lois is survived by her four children, Alan (Judith) Pelzer, Mark (Sheila) Pelzer, Michelle (Claude) Sand, and Karla (Tim) O'Donnell; brother, Jim (Lynn) Barthel; 14 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. Lois was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Marie Barthel; husband, Marc; and son-in-law, Michael Miner. Lois exuded love, laughter, kindness, and always put others first. It was said Lois had a huge heart and always had room to love one more. The family would especially like to thank the Hospice Care and staff at Woodland Good Samaritan Society for their kind and loving care of our mother. She will be deeply missed, and never forgotten