Lois Jean Burgess Owen, 73, passed away at St. Luke’s South Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020, after a long illness. She was born April 30, 1947, in Waynesville, Mo., daughter of Jack A. and Dorothy Newell Burgess.
She was raised in Garden City Kan., where she graduated high school in 1965. She attended Garden City Community College and Emporia State College.
On July 26, 1975, Lois married Keith A. Owen at Leavenworth Baptist Church. He survives of the home as does her younger brother Billy Dean Burgess. She is also survived by one daughter Michelle K. Barber (Trever) of Verona Mo.; son, Stephen J. Owen (Jessie) of Raytown Mo. and son Philip A. Owen (Jessica) of Overland Park. Lois is also survived by seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
She was preceded in death by her parents and younger brother, David Burgess.
Lois was a lifelong musician, serving as church pianist at multiple Baptist missions near Garden City while in her teens. At different times she was pianist at Leavenworth Baptist and also Lansing First Southern Baptist Church, of which she was a founding member. Most recently she was the musician for regular Sunday morning services at Lansing Care and Rehabilitation and at Homestead.
She enjoyed gardening, antique clocks, ceramics, calligraphy, genealogy, diamond painting, singing and especially being a mom and grandmother. In the 1980s, she was both a puppeteer and moderator for a Kids on the Block team.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, at the R.L. Leintz Funeral Home. A funeral service to celebrate her life will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral Home. Interment will be at Oaklawn Cemetery in Richland Mo. Memorials are suggested to the Barbershop Harmony Society.