Lois Chappel

Lois Lucille (Meyer) Chappel, 83, died peacefully Oct. 20, 2007, at her home in Yakima surrounded by her loving family. Her death followed a brief but courageous fight with cancer.

Chappel was born in a farmhouse in Moxee, Wash., Jan. 25, 1924, to Cornelius Peter Meyer and Maude Amelia (Brown) Meyer. She enjoyed growing up in a large Dutch family surrounded by loving cousins, aunts and uncles. Chappel helped her family in many agricultural endeavors, and she enjoyed family fishing trips to Fish Lake. She was graduated in 1941 from Yakima High School as class valedictorian.

Chappel married Walter “Junior” Chappel on July 9, 1944, in Yakima. During the first five years of the marriage the couple lived in San Francisco and attended the Plymouth Brethren Church. Moving to Marin County, Chappel sang in the Mill Valley Baptist Church choir for many years.

Chappel’s life was devoted to the care and raising of her five children. She was the center of her family, filling the home with love and joy, faithfully raising her children in a Christian home. Early church activities included the Chappel Family Singers, and she created matching sailor outfits for the performances. She encouraged a love of music in her children’s lives with piano lessons and, in later years, school band or choir.

The Chappel family moved back home to Yakima in 1964 to be close to the extended family. She worked for the West Valley School District as a teacher and reading aide.

In 1978, Lois and Walt Chappel moved to Wasilla. She enjoyed her years in Alaska with two of her children and their families, church activities at the Lazy Mountain Bible Church in Palmer. She also liked exploring Alaska’s natural beauty.

The couple’s love of travel began with their 25th anniversary trip to Hawaii and was crowned by a year-long trip around the world visiting friends, family and missionaries. Subsequent trips to Indonesia, England and around the United States were highlights of their retirement. The couple wintered for 14 years in Kona, Hawaii.

Chappel was happiest when sharing the lives of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed telling stories of her early life and taking them out to see the family farmhouse and landmarks in Moxee. She was particularly blessed when daughter, Danielle, and her three children moved in to care for her during the last five years of her life.

Chappel was preceded in death by her husband, Walter; brother, Stanley Meyer; and daughter, Debbie Amelia Chappel.

Survivors include her son, David (Sandy) Chappel of Wasilla; and daughters, Denise Chappel of Talkeetna, and Danielle Surkatty and Dawn (Jim) Van Horn of Yakima; brother Melvin Meyer of Nashua, N.H.; sister-in-law Flavia Meyer of Federal Way; grandchildren: Laurie (Kimball) Daniels of Anchorage, Eric (Jamie) Chappel of Talkeetna, Jacob (Janelle) Van Horn of Moxee; Lesley (Matthew) Bunch of Palmer, Jessica Van Horn of Seattle, Robin Bogert of Portland, Sarah Chappel of Anchorage, Omar Surkatty of Ellensburg, Osman Surkatty and Sorayah Surkatty of Yakima; step-grandchildren, Dennelle (Terry) Seetomona of Anchorage, and Christopher (Melinda) Layfield of Anchorage. Chappel’s great-grandchildren in Alaska are Chase Layfield, Simon and Siri Seetomona, Kaden and Claire Daniels, Andrew Chappel, Austin Bunch, and Isaac and Solomon Moore. She also faithfully kept in touch with her numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 27 at Wiley Heights Covenant Church, 12504 Gilbert Road in Yakima. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Keith and Keith Funeral Home. Memorial gifts may be given to the Union Gospel Mission or Wiley Heights Covenant Church in Yakima.