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Wanted: More Chicago Loises
A lobby full of Loises

Several Lincoln Park area Loises are posing in this group in the lobby of Lexington Square Retirement Community in Lombard. Pictured: Lois Schnizlein (front arms outstretched) stands with Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois, Lois and Lois.
With one-liners like "Lois is a nice name," followed by "I never met a Lois I didn't like," 70 Loises lunched in Lombard to help celebrate the Illinois Lois Club. None of the retirement community residents at Lexington Square, nor its administrator Renee Cerveny, could believe their eyes when the women strolled in one-by-one and introduced themselves.
Lois humor is without limit. One gal wore a lapel button-pin that read: "You pregnant? Lois is a nice name." A common nickname of Lois is "Loey." When the gals were young, they'd be aggravated when kids at school called them "Lowass." But the most common greeting of all is the oxymoron of "Hi! Lo!"
"Our oldest member was 99," says president and founder Lois Schnizlein. "We all clung to the hope that she'd make it to one hundred." Sadly she didn't. "Lexington Square contacted us to let us know that Lois Nelson, one of their favorite residents, is 100-years old. They invited us to join her for a complimentary Lois Club Luncheon. We were all thrilled to be in her company. She was the celebrity of the day as all 70 Loises wanted their picture taken alongside her.
Conversations at Lexington Square focused around Lois trivia. Whoopie Goldberg had a turtle named Lois; the very first Miss America in 1928 was a Lois; Austria produces a dry white wine named Lois Wine. Then, there are the Lois Sightings of famous and not so famous people. "My air-conditioner man's name is Lois," said one member, "Their goal," explains Cerveny, "...is to get the name Lois back into vogue - to make it as popular as it was in the World War II generation."
The Lois Club has no officers. No dues. No membership fees. No regulations. No agendas. "We don't even have any rules," laughs Schnizlein. But the Club does have titles. Schnizelein is Head Lois, Queen Lois, or in Trump-like fashion just THE Lois. She also answers to Matriarch Lois and Octogenarian Lois.
If your name is Lois, and you live in Chicago, contact Lois Schnizlein, by e-mailing her at ladybugglois@aol.com.
A lot of Loises

From left, Lincoln Park's own LOIS Taylor joins Chicago's LOIS McCullough, LOIS Stewart and LOIS Cella, who announced at their latest LOIS Club Luncheon at Lexington Square Retirement Community of Lombard, that they want more Chicago area Loises to join the Club.