Lois Ruth (Rutledge) Chambers

Funeral services for Lois Ruth (Rutledge) Chambers, 87, of Lufkin will be held Friday, December 8, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Denman Avenue Baptist Church with Pastor Jacob Fitzgerald officiating. A private burial will be held in the Houston National Cemetery.

Born in Houston, Texas February 23, 1936 as the 2nd of six children to Weaver L. and Elda Rutledge. Lois Ruth Chambers graduated from Milby High School, then attended three years at Baylor University before marrying Robert “Bob” Chambers from McAllen, Texas on May 26, 1957. They lived in Edna, Texas, near Corpus Christi, where Bob was Music, Youth and Educational Director at First Baptist Church. In 1958 Bob joined the US Air Force and thus began his 20 year career which took them to 15 locations around the country and a 4-year stint in Taiwan, where Lois taught English in a Chinese Girls school. Having four sons and a daughter along the way, their final assignment was in Austin, Texas. After 33 years there, they moved to Lufkin, Texas in 2008, where she and Bob became members of Denman Avenue Baptist Church.

Lois had a dress-making career through all of those times, making dozens of bridal dresses, outfits for youth choir at three different churches where, in addition to his USAF duties, Bob served as part-time Minister of Music. Besides making clothes for the family, she made their curtains, drapes, bedspreads, upholstery, etc. Having majored in Home Economics at Baylor, she was noted for her cooking and produced a 100+page Chambers’ Cook Book, which she proudly provided for all of the wives in the family!

She taught Sunday School classes, sang in the choir, served in Women’s Missionary Society and was on various committees in most of the churches they attended along the way. She was a Real Estate broker for their last 10 years in Austin.

Lois was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and was the 2-time Convention Coordinator for the Texas Federation of Republican Women. She was awarded "Outstanding Republican Woman” in 2005.

Lois loved our Lord and exemplified a person portraying all of the Fruits of the Spirit.

Survivors include her loving husband of 66-1/2 years, Robert “Bob” Chambers of Lufkin; sons and daughters-in-law, Stanley and Patti Chambers of Palestine, Leslie and Merideth Chambers of Lufkin, Kenneth and Marisa Chambers of Willis; daughter and son-in-law, Julie and Mike VanderMate; 15 grandchildren, plus 12 in-law grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; sister, Lottie Crim of Omaha, Nebraska; brothers and sister-in-law, W.L. Rutledge of Livingston, Carey and Peggy Rutledge of Missouri; and numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents; son, John “Jack” Chambers; and sisters, Kathryn Rutledge and Jeanette Bullock.

Pallbearers will be Ryan Chambers, Robert Chambers, Reed Chambers, Aaron Jarvis, Wade Jordan, and Michael VanderMate.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening at Carroway Funeral Home.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.