Lois Vander Voet Burns

Lois Vander Voet Burns was born Aug. 17, 1961, at Bellflower, Calif., the daughter of Richard Vander Voet and Beverly Smits Vander Voet.

Lois’ grade school years were in La Puente, Calif., and Kalamazoo, Mich. She graduated from Rich South High School in Richton Park, Ill. In 1983, she graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa with a B.A. in painting.

Lois enjoyed painting with water colors, making jewelry, caring for horses, designing displays for Este Lauder and working with herbs and cacti at Harvey’s Nursery in Adel, Iowa. When Lois moved to Washington, she worked with plants and inventory at Smith Gardens in Bellingham.

After a 38-year battle with Type I diabetes, Lois died on Oct. 13, 2007, at her parents’ home in Mount Vernon. Our heartfelt gratitude is extended to the caring and compassionate staff of doctors, nurses and therapists who made her life and her death one surrounded with dedication and love.

Lois is survived by her husband, Mark, her parents, her brother, Rick, and his wife Jeni, niece, Sarah, and nephews Jacob and Tyler; her father and mother-in-law Terry and Elaine Burns; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and devoted friends.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2015 East Blackburn Road, Mount Vernon.

Memorials may be given to the American Diabetes Association, Everett Office, 2805 Colby Ave. Everett, WA 98201.

Arrangements are under the care of Kern Funeral Home of Mount Vernon. You may share your condolences with Lois’s family online by signing her online guest register at www.kernfuneral

home.com.