Keeping up with the Loises, once again

Winnipeg

North End

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This article was published 09/04/2025 (370 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No matter how old you are, you’ve probably heard the name Lois — in some capacity — over the course of your life, whether in fiction, movies, or while combing through the older branches of your family tree.

However, the name Lois — a biblical name which is Greek in origin, and means “better” or “more desirable” — is rare and dwindling. So rare, in fact, that a Manitoban chapter of the Lois Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Every year, a group of Loises from around the province join together for a ‘Lois Luncheon,’ an annual event that’s been taking place since the ’90s.

It takes place during the last week of every April, every year, at a restaurant chosen by the club. The mission is simple, to have fun and appreciate each others’ company. In the past, the group has also invited different guest speakers and indulged in different themes, such as the “mad hatter party” from a few years back, for which many of the Loises created their own hats.

The number of Loises in attendance shifts year-to-year, according to Lois Kruse, who has been organizing the event for around 10 years.

“What happens at these luncheons, only Loises know for sure,” said Kruse, with a laugh, but it’s primarily lighthearted fun.

Lois clubs exist all over Canada and the United States — at one point, there was even a semi-regular newsletter called Keeping up with the Loises, which detailed what different clubs were up to throughout the year.

The first Canadian chapter was based in Prince Edward Island, Kruse said, because a Lois had moved there from California. The Manitoban chapter of the Lois Club was then founded in 1997 by Lois Dudgeon. It came to be when her father had heard about the other clubs on CBC Radio , and, knowing she had a friend also named Lois, let her know. It grew from there.

“That first year, it was just the two of them, and then the next year there were 35,” Kruse said.

Over time, the club grew to a high of to over 250 members across the province. At moment, membership is just under 100. Kruse, who lives in the North End, said she’s still trying to get hold of Loises who have lost touch.

“This year, we’re going to ask for everyone’s birthday,” she added. “So we can keep tabs on the Loises.”

The oldest Lois was 94 when she died, Kruse said, and the youngest is university age. Her name isn’t actually Lois, but her middle name is — after her grandmother — and she, along with a few others, were indoctrinated anyway, as “people just aren’t naming their kids Lois anymore.”

The club also has an “honorary Lois,” the daughter of the creator of Lois’s Sweet Mustard, a local product which she relaunched after her father passed away.

“She’s pretty busy, but keeps making it for us (the Loises),” Kruse said. “And comes to gatherings as much as she can.”

In the past, Loises have been allowed to bring friends to the luncheons as honorary guests.

Although the luncheon is the group’s only consistent event, it has been the vehicle for a number of escapades — at one point the Lois Club had a float in the Modern Corn & Apple Festival parade. Kruse hopes to plan more outdoor events, as many of the Loises enjoy golfing, but she said it’s a work in progress.

This year’s Lois Luncheon is set for April 24. If you’re a Lois or you know a Lois who may be interested in taking part, call Dudgeon at 204-822-6207 or Kruse at 204-619-0763.