Memorial service to be held on October 3

Lois Jean (Riesen) Andreas died on August 1, 2026, in Bluffton, Ohio. She was born November 22, 1925, in Hillsboro, KS, to Adolf and Justina (Hiebert) Riesen. Lois Jean grew up on the family farm with her brother Willis, sixteen months her senior, speaking only German until she started school. Her Anabaptist faith developed at the Brudertal Mennonite Church, where her lifelong passion for peace and justice began and she was encouraged to think for herself. 

When she began playing flute in high school, she advanced quickly and said, "A whole new world opened up." Later at Bethel College in North Newton, KS, she was honored with a full recital, accompanied by the orchestra. She sought to instill her love of music in her children from an early age and the family continues to cherish its music traditions.

She studied home economics in college and met her husband, William (Bill) Andreas, of Beatrice, NE. They got married in 1948, took over her family farm and welcomed their first of six children a year later. Lois Jean and Bill moved to Newton in 1978 to be part of New Creation Fellowship, an intentional Mennonite community. 

Lois Jean dealt with health issues through much of her life and out of this grew a lifelong interest in new ideas about health, food and exercise. She started doing yoga and meditation decades before they became fashionable. She drove to California many times to train as a Feldenkrais practitioner and became the oldest person in the country to gain certification.

At age 82, she moved to Portland, OR, to live with her daughter and granddaughter and then spent several years living with each of her children for a few months at a time. In 2013, she moved to Mennonite Memorial Home in Bluffton, OH, and joined First Mennonite Church. As she lost her memory and mobility, she never lost her love for connecting with people. She was a model of a genuinely positive spirit that focused on what she still liked to do rather than on her growing limitations.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Willis; husband, Bill; oldest daughter, Sonja; and sons-in-law Steve Andreas and Bobby Tod. She is survived by five children: Theresa Tod of Dripping Springs, TX; Connirae Andreas of Boulder, CO; Rene Eisenbart (Tom) of Portland, OR; Tamara Andreas (Kevin Wood) of Jasper, AR; and Jonathan Andreas (Jan Wiebe) of Bluffton, OH; 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at First Mennonite Church in Bluffton, OH. Visitation will take place beforehand, starting at 2:30 p.m., at the church. Lois Jean donated her body to science and requested that memorial contributions go to Bluffton University or Bethel College (KS).