Lois Ann Chenier
April 18,1934- June 18,2022

Lois Ann Chenier, peacefully returned home to the Father June 18,2022 at the age of 88.
Vigil Service and Eulogy will be held on Thursday July 21 at 5:30 pm at Hooper and Weaver Mortuary in Nevada City. The Memorial Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Grass Valley, on Friday July 22, at 1:00 pm. A reception will follow in the hall. The family will attend a private burial immediately after mass and return for the fellowship.
Lois was born in Lutcher, LA on April 18,1934 to Joseph Chenier & Hortense Ockmand Chenier. In 1956 she entered the Carmelite Sisters of St Theresa of the Child Jesus in Oklahoma City, made final vows in 1960, and became a Registered Nurse the same year. In 1964 she volunteered for the Missions in Guatemala opening a clinic serving an area of 16,000-20,000 Mayan Indians with the Maryknoll Fathers. Later in Baja California, she volunteered to work with the Passionist Priest of Sierra Madre opening clinics and using Volks Wagon vans as a mobile medical unit for the remote areas of Baja, until the local doctors were able to take over. Meanwhile she worked at the first Farmworkers clinic in Brawley, CA. Set up home health and discharge planning for local hospitals and became the triage nurse for Farmworkers Clinic. In 1974 she was sent to UCLA Primex the 1st program of Family Nurse Practitioners in California and was certified in 1976. In return she then set up two Nurse Practitioner ran satellite clinics, one in Imperial Valley and the other in Borrego Springs. In 1986 she purchased the Nurse Practitioner owned Penn Valley Medical Clinic and retired in 2005 due to health. After a few months Lois went to work part time at the Wildwood Medical Clinic for Dr. Linda Foshagen, DO in Grass Valley before her final retirement in 2015.
As in her youth, Lois’s advocation was Music, joining the parish choir upon her arrival to the area, up until recent years. Throughout the years she was on the parish RCIA team, volunteered for Hospice of the Foothills and made herself available whenever needed. Lois was known for her kindness, presence to the person and the moment regardless the circumstance. Her cajon laugh was as infectious as her smile. She leaves us with her words of wisdom she lived.
“The costliest service human hands can render comes without cost- is never bought and sold; It flows from the human hearts, by love made tender, and moves above the purchase power of gold” She will be missed.
Lois is survived by her sisters, Rosemary Duhe’, Grace (Buchel) Klibert, four nieces and five nephews, many grand and great grand nieces and nephews and an informally adopted sister, Patricia Muro and Muro family.
Preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Hortence (Ockman) Chenier, brother Henry (Ethelyn) Chenier and brother-in-law Allen (Buddy) Duhe’, nephews, Brain, Barry and Jody Duhe’ and one niece Diane Chenier Vito.
A special thank you to her Physicians Ryan Smith, M.D., Primary Linda K. Foshagen, D.O., Hospice of the Foothills and Pawnie’s Home Care Services. Memorial contributions can be made to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Grass Valley, Hospice of the Foothills, Pawnie’s Home Care or a charity of your choice.