Lois Jean Fichtner

Lois Jean Fichtner age 94 of Hermantown died on May 29, 2025. She was born on October 25, 1930 to parents, Frank and Edith (Warren) Lukritz in Duluth. Born during the depression, her first home was a two-room log cabin on Turtle River Lake near Bemidji. They had no running water, and the cabin was heated by a small wood stove that was also used for cooking. These early years laid a foundation of hard work, independence, resilience and humility that were constant throughout her life. At the conclusion of the depression, her family moved back to the Proctor/Hermantown area, where she resided for the remainder of her life. 

Lois graduated from Proctor High School in 1948. She married Donald Fichtner on December 16, 1950. Together they raised 4 boys on a small farm in Hermantown. Don tragically died in an industrial accident in 1979. Lois found love again, sharing 25 years of companionship with Bill Kernan, until his death in 2007. Lois was a pillar of the community. She started the Duluth Chapter of the Lois Club with long-time friend Lois MacDougall. She was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church, a proud member of the Proctor High School Class of 1948, the Order of the Eastern Star, Proctor Historical Society, Hermantown Legacy Fund, and many more. She was humble beyond measure but carried a quiet strength. Her life was not about grand gestures but about countless small ones that added up to a legacy of love, loyalty, and compassion. She was simply the best.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Edith; husband, Donald; and companion, Bill. Lois is survived by her children, Scott (Deb), Dean (Laurie), Keith (Liz), and Wayne (Lori); grandchildren, Kristen (Nathan), Kent (Katie), Lynn, Kelly (Tanner), Nikki (James), Travis, and Stevie; great-grandchildren, Samantha, Jamey, Annelise, Presly, Dylan, Cole, and Slone.

Funeral Service will be Friday, June 27th at 12:00 p.m. with a visitation starting at 11:00 a.m. in Grace Lutheran Church, 5454 Miller Trunk Hwy, Hermantown, MN. Internment at Hermantown Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Proctor or Hermantown Museums, Grace Lutheran Church, or the Hermantown Legacy Fund are preferred. The family would like to thank the staff at Benedictine Health Center, St. Luke's Hospital, and St. Luke's Hospice for their compassionate care of our mother.