Lois Marie Harms

Lois Marie Powell Harms of Bend passed away peacefully at her home on April 5, 2026, following a brief and courageous battle with leukemia. Lois was born in Leona, Oregon, near Drain where she was raised. In 1959, she married her high school sweetheart, Dennis (Denny) Hunter Harms. Lois joined Denny in San Diego, California, where Dennis served in the Navy aboard the USS Nereus. During their time there, Lois completed her high school education and worked as a billing typist for the phone company. Following Dennis’s discharge, the couple returned to Oregon, living in the Eugene, Springfield, and Cottage Grove areas before settling in Bend in 2009. Lois truly enjoyed homemaking, cooking, baking, and organizing family gatherings, especially, holidays and the annual Powell Reunion. A woman of many talents, she also found joy in gardening, canning, and sewing. Much like her mother, Etta, Lois was never afraid of hard work—whether she was painting her home inside and out, maintaining her yard, or shoveling snow, she took pride in everything she did. In the mid-1980s, Lois worked part-time while putting herself through college to earn an Associate’s degree in bookkeeping. She went on to hold several bookkeeping positions in the Eugene/Springfield area until her retirement in 2006. In their retirement years, Lois and Denny explored the United States by train and RV, eventually purchasing a home in Bend’s Cascade Village community. Lois and Denny started the community coffee gatherings in 2010. Lois also spent years volunteering and attending potlucks, bingo, and holiday occasions. She always enjoyed events that brought neighbors together. Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Dennis; her parents, Etta and Eldon Powell; her brother, Ellis Lee Powell; and her great-grandchild, Samuel Scott Stephens. She is survived by her two daughters and their spouses, Tina and Bill Anderson of Powell Butte, OR, and Lee Anne Harms and Dave Pegenau of Beaver Creek, OR. She leaves behind two grandchildren and their spouses: Jennifer and Matt Stephens and their sons Thomas, Merle, and Daniel; and Ryan and Lindsie Anderson and their children Taylor, Jordan, and Ellis of Scott AFB, Illinois. She is also survived by her sisters, Millie Powell (Carol Garrow) of Vancouver, WA, and Bonnie Wuergler (Steve) and family of Nikiski, AK; nephews Barry Jenkins, Ryan Jenkins, and Jim Harms (son Milo); and numerous cousins throughout Oregon. Remembrances: In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Lois’s memory to Partners In Care/Hospice: 2075 NE Wyatt Court Bend, OR 97701 www.partnersbend.org Niswonger-Reynolds Funeral Home handled the arrangements. Please visit the online guestbook at www.niswonger-reynolds.com

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Lois Marie Harms

March 31, 1941 - April 5, 2026