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MARQUETTE - Lois DePree Chapman, 98, of 1600 Mill Creek Court, entered eternal life Monday morning, April 26, 2010, in the loving care of her family and the caregivers of Upper Peninsula Home Health and Hospice.

Lois was born in Foochow, China, on Sept. 15, 1911, to Henry Peter and Kate (Everhard) DePree, missionaries of the Dutch Reformed Church. She received her early education from her mother and later attended the Shanghai American School, a boarding school, and graduated from high school there in 1929. She relocated to the United States where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hope College in 1934 and worked for a year and a half as an elementary teacher in the Reformed Church Mission at Gray Hawk, Kentucky. She taught for a half year in Zeeland, Mich., before moving to the Holland Public Schools.

In 1938, Lois married Lloyd G. Chapman. Lois taught in the Kalamazoo schools from 1948 to 1957 when the family moved to the Campus of State Technical Institute and Rehabilitation Center at Pine Lake. She taught first grade in the Delton Public Schools for nine years, including one year at the North Pine Lake School, the last year that one-room school was in operation. Lois then moved to Cooper School in the Plainwell System where she took part for five years in a non-graded program. She retired in 1972. Lois was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, the Pine Lake Helping Hand Club, and the Pipp Hospital Auxiliary. Following retirement, Lois worked for 15 years as a volunteer in Stroke-One-to-One at Ridgeview Manor Nursing Home and for five years was a tutor for the Kalamazoo Literacy Program. She was a member of the Portage Senior Center Reminiscence Writing Class and enjoyed writing about her experiences in China. She joined the First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo in 1949 and for many years was active in the Sunday School. She moved to Marquette in 2001.

Lois is survived by her son, Robert Lloyd (Barbara) Chapman of Marquette; her daughter, Marilyn (Pam Porter) Chapman of Madison, Wis.; four grandchildren, Brent (Kathy) Chapman and Laura (Mike) Nelson of Marquette, David (Tomo) Broekema of Tokyo, Japan, and Wendy (Steve) Broekema of Verona, Wis.; five great-grandchildren, Dessa, Abbie, Evan, Josh and Addie; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Lois was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd; a sister, Carol DePree; and brothers David and Harold DePree.

The family will receive relatives and friends at the First Presbyterian Church, Marquette, on Saturday, May 1, beginning at 3 p.m. A memorial service will follow at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the church with the Rev. James Robb officiating. Burial will be made in the First Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church, 120 N. Front St., Marquette, MI 49855.

The Fassbender Funeral Home is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at www.fassbenderswanson.com.