Lois Houlihan of Carroll died December 19, 2021, after a long illness. She was 83 years of age.
Born Lois Florence Otto on February 8, 1938, “Loie” to her family, grew up on a 180-acre farm northeast of Carroll. She was the youngest daughter of George “Bud” and Otilia “Tillie” Bluml Otto, and sister to Kathleen (Landgraf), Clair, Tom, and Randy Otto. She was predeceased by siblings Marilyn (Dunning), and Jack and Gary Otto. She attended Mt. Carmel schools, and was her high school class valedictorian.
In 1958, she married George “Lee” Houlihan (d. 1974) of Carroll, with whom she had four children: Bryan of Carroll; Curtis of New York, NY; Kaye Lynn of Brooklyn, NY; and David of Honolulu, HI. For almost 50 years, she lived on West 2nd St. in Carroll, and worked at a variety of local finance companies, concluding her career at Farner-Bocken, where she worked as a bookkeeper for over a decade.
Lois was widely known as a formidable bridge player, and taught the game to aspiring local players. For much of her life, she played the game every Thursday evening with the same small group of friends, and often competed in and organized area tournaments. Nothing made her happier than a good bridge game and winning “high.” She rarely lost.
Lois was an enthusiastic reader and imparted that habit to her children. She was a regular visitor to the Carroll library, where she read most of the popular mysteries and crime novels available. She was a lifelong Democrat and active in local politics. During her 20s and 30s, she was an avid golfer, winning several trophies in local competitions at the Carroll Country Club.
As the child of Depression-era farmers, and later a single mother, Lois always worked hard and was careful with money. She clipped coupons, invested prudently, and saved. She was very proud that she could take care of herself and her family, and always did.
Lois is also survived by five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her ashes will be interred near her parents at Mt. Carmel cemetery.
A celebration of the Life of Lois Houlihan will be held at noon on Saturday, January 15, 2022, at Dahn & Woodhouse Funeral Home, 705 N. Carroll St., in Carroll.
