Our beloved mom, Lola Mae Roth, passed away peacefully on July 4th, 2025, surrounded by family. She was born in 1933 in Abany, Oregon, and lived in the Willamette Valley her entire 92 years. Mom attended her first year at Goshen College in Indiana, with a focus on Nutrition Studies. During this time, she fell in love with our dad, Ivan Roth (of Lebanon), and chose to switch her focus instead to marriage and family. Our parents were married in 1952 and moved to a farm in the Knox Butte area where they lived for over 63 years before moving to the Mennonite Village.

Coming from a lengthy line of farmers, mom had an amazing green thumb and loved gardening all her life. For many years she nurtured a rose garden of about forty roses, a hobby that both she and dad loved. Because of our large family, mom also grew big canning gardens (think forty tomato plants!) but she always included rows of cutting flowers in between the vegetables. Mom was also a member of a local garden club for most of her married life until she suffered a stroke eight years ago and could no longer participate.

As a long-time member of the Albany Mennonite Church, mom valued her church family and fellowship all her life. She possessed a deep inner strength and a faith in Jesus that sustained her through life's many challenges, living her faith by example and actions instead of words. For years, mom provided the summer flower arrangements for the pulpit, lead congregational singing and was regularly active in the church choirs, quilting groups, and hospitality.

Annual family camping trips were one of mom's all-time favorite activities and nothing made her happier than sitting by a campfire with an enjoyable book and hot cup of coffee. We siblings always laugh that mom seemed to out-fish and out-hunt dad but it was just to get over it so she could relax by the fire the rest of the trip. She also had a strong artistic talent but raising seven children on an active farm did not leave her much time to pursue creative ventures, so her love of art resulted in diverse ways such as embroidery, quilting, sewing, flower arranging and landscaping. Mom was also well known for her wonderful cooking and often showed her love for family and friends through her special efforts. All her family treasure her recipes and share her love for food and the camaraderie and love that was a large part of it.

Mom's gentle soul, wicked sense of humor, artistic flair, constant positivity, and the inner light of her spirit will continue to live within her children and grandchildren and show in the love of family we all have for generations to come. We love you, Mom.

Mom was preceded in death by her husband, Ivan Roth, and her parents Sam and Kathryn Kennel. She is lovingly remembered by her seven children: Kathryn (Ron) Shanks, Loren Roth, Harlan (Tracy) Roth, Evelyn Roth, David (Dana) Roth, Mary Anne (Jamie) Hannum and Carmen (Paul) Schaffers, thirteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

A celebration of mom's life is scheduled for August 16, 2025, 2:00 pm, at the Lakeside Center of the Mennonite Village, located at 5353 Columbus Street, SE, Albany, OR, 97321.