Lois Marie Hause

Lois Marie (Gundersen) Hause, age 87, died peacefully and well-loved on August 22, 2025. 

Lois was born in Salem, Oregon to Arthur and Thelma Gudrun (Hansen) Gundersen on October 8, 1937. The family had moved from Ladysmith, Wisconsin, to Oregon, where Art worked in logging. He was killed in a logging accident when Lois was three years old and her older sister Eunice (Mic) was five. Lois‘ job in high school was helping Mrs. South at the boarding house next-door where she learned about cooking, cleaning and making a comfortable home.

In 1955, Lois started studying elementary education at Pacific Lutheran College, now Pacific Lutheran University. In her first days there she met the man who would later become her husband, Rusel Hause. Other lifelong friendships started there, and she always enjoyed the reunions with those friends.

She started teaching in Lebanon, Oregon, while Rusel finished his education at Oregon State. They both found teaching positions in Roseburg, where they lived for two years.

Rusel joined the Navy, and they moved to Portsmouth, Virginia. Their first two sons, Jaeson and Jeffrey, were born there. By the time Michael was born, the family had moved to Seattle. When Rusel retired from active duty, he started teaching.

Lois loved being a mom to her three boys. As they became school-aged, she started fostering newborn babies before they went to their biological or adoptive families. They fostered 27 babies over several years, all recorded in a special photo album with their foster names given by the boys.

She became involved with PTA, and often painted signs for the school events. She met other PTA moms who invited her to play pinochle in 1975, and played monthly with them for almost fifty years as they shared their lives and changing families together. She created the schedules for the year, and also helped to organize annual trips away with the “Pinochle Ladies”, always thinking of who was bringing the salads and the desserts and so much more.

Rusel and Lois invested in rental property starting in 1974. As do-it-yourselfers, they maintained and improved the properties and managed their investment property business. Lois was an excellent scrubber and painter, as well as organizer. Work got done when she was in charge!

The family traveled together in long car and van rides around the country during the summers, and also spent time at Rusel’s parents’ farm in The Dalles, Oregon. After Rusel retired from teaching, Rusel and Lois started traveling further, enjoying adventures with friends to Europe and the Panama Canal.

As her family grew, Lois continued to be an involved mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and then great-grandmother. She and Rusel traveled to visit their son Jaeson’s family in California at least once or twice a year, whether by car, motor home, or finally the Trek. They also took care of and spent many holidays with their son Jeff’s family frequently as they lived much closer.

Starting in 2010 through 2020, the Hause family gathered annually outside of Spokane at “Mike’s Lake” for a week in the summer. Lois started organizing several months in advance, planning for food, towels, sleeping bags, air mattresses, games, and so much more to make the time special for whichever family members could be present that year. She brought loads of cookies, brownies, banana bread, and so many more treats, besides the actual groceries that filled the Trek for the week.

Lois was a devoted supporter of her family. She believed the best of them, and wanted to help them through challenges and struggles of life. She frequently wrote letters and cards, and later emails, to her family members and friends. It was important to her that the people she cared about knew she cared about them. She loved gathering the family together for any possible reason, and was just as enthralled with her first great grandson as she had been with her grandchildren.

Rusel and Lois moved to their current house in the Edmonds Bowl in 1996, They loved and appreciated their view of Puget Sound, the ferries, and the mountains every day. They also loved watching the activities that took place at the Francis Anderson Center park across the street. She continued to get together with her pinochle friends, and also joined a water aerobics class. She organized get-togethers and lunches for the different groups, including the people in her neighborhood. She was friendly, greeting people new to the group. She will be missed by so many people who appreciated her bright smile and laughing eyes.

Lois was preceded in death by her husband Rusel, her parents Arthur and Thelma Gundersen, and her sister Eunice “Mic” Cannoy.

She is mourned by her three sons and their families:

Jaeson Hawes and his wife Shauna (McPhetres) of Martinez, California, their son Joel, his wife Gina Scalise and son Maximilian of Martinez, their son Benjamin of New York City;

Jeffrey Hause and Francine Pronesti of Bothell, daughter Jacqueline of Bellingham, son Conrad of Everett, sons Brandon and Derek of Bothell, daughter Nina Dubrule of Bothell.

Mike Hause and his wife Mary Ronnestad of Spokane.

She is also mourned by her niece Lynn Cannoy, as well as her brother-in-law Jerry and sister-in-law Tina Hause, nieces Ruth and Jessica, cousin Diane Shalander, and other Shalander cousins.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Lois’ name to the Outreach Fund of the First Lutheran Church of Richmond Beach.