APRIL 24, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
obituaries
Ann (Vejlupek) Lossner
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March 9, 1914 – April 18, 2015
Dean Nelson McLoud
October 27, 1953 – March 15, 2015
In the presence of his family
and under the care of the VA
medical team in Portland,
Dean
Nelson
McLoud
peacefully passed away on
March 15, 2015. Dean’s years
were cut short, but the impact
of his big heart lives on. For
those who knew him, Dean
was larger than life.
Born on Oct. 27, 1953
into an Air Force family,
Dean moved around before
settling in Salem with his
family in 1969. He attended
McNary High School and
earned an advanced degree
from Chemeketa Community
College. Following in the
tradition of his father, Dean
served in the Air Force.
He was a committed mem-
ber of the Keizer Community
Church and was instrumental
in many philanthropic efforts
of the church – as an anony-
mous “fi nan-
cial
angel,”
prayer chain
facilitator and
corn run or-
ganizer.
Outside of
God, coun-
try and fam-
McLoud
ily, Dean was
an avid baseball
fan. He was a walking ency-
clopedia of stats and was a for-
midable force on many fantasy
leagues. While keeping score
in these games, in the game of
life Dean did not. He was the
fi rst to forgive, never holding
a grudge; the fi rst to offer as-
sistance, preferring to remain
anonymous; the fi rst to offer
kindness, even when unex-
pected or undeserved; the fi rst
to think of others, before him-
self. He will be remembered
for his big heart and the lives
he touched in his subtle, but
profound way.
Dean was preceded in
death by his mother, Ellen S.
McLoud. Survivors include
his father, Nelson McLoud of
Keizer; brothers Don McLoud
of Eugene and Doug McLoud
(Erick Walker) of Long Beach,
Calif.; sister Denise Lilley
(Charles) of Reno, Nev. and
nieces Kate French (Chad),
Clara, Caroline and Melissa
Lilley.
A celebration of Dean’s life
was held on April 19 at the
Keizer Community Church,
with a private interment
at
Willamette
National
Cemetery.
Ann (Vejlupek) Lossner,
noted writer, historian, paint-
er, mother, grandmother and
great-grandmother,
passed
away April 18, 2015 in Wil-
sonville at age 101.
Ann leaves a legacy that
includes two books on the
history of Keizer, numerous
oil paintings and a pioneer-
ing spirit that lives on in the
memories of her children and
grandchildren.
Ann Josephine Vejlupek
was born March 9, 1914, in
Cleveland, Ohio, to Joseph
and Josephine Vejlupek who
met and married in their na-
tive Czechoslovakia and emi-
grated to the United States in
1913.
Ann had a happy childhood
and especially enjoyed the
company of her sister, Rose.
Ann worked as a clerk in a
bakery during high school.
She graduated in 1932 and at-
tended Cleveland College.
Ann worked for National
Carbon Company, then as a
secretary for the Erie Railroad.
It was during her employment
with Vlchek Tool Company
that Ann met her future hus-
band, Chester “Chet” Lossner.
Because both husband
and wife were not allowed to
work during the Great De-
pression due to the shortage of
jobs, Ann and Chet were mar-
ried secretly on Oct. 23, 1937
in the Old Stone Church in
Cleveland. On April 7, 1938,
Ann and Chet went on their
“honeymoon” to Oregon.
They chose Oregon because it
was one of only two states that
did not have ragweed.
After a few months in Or-
egon, they moved to Califor-
nia where they picked cotton.
After about a year in Califor-
nia, the couple moved back to
Cleveland in early 1939 but
soon determined they were
not suited for urban Ohio
life. In 1940, they returned to
the Salem area where Chet
worked for the Railway Ex-
press Agency and Ann did of-
fi ce work for Montgomery
Ward.
Son Peter Alan Lossner
arrived on June 16, 1941. A
second son, Michael David
Lossner, was born on May 12,
1943. Daughter Susan Kath-
leen Lossner was born on Aug.
22, 1950.
The family lived on a farm
until 1963. Peter and Michael
were students at Oregon State
University when the fam-
ily moved to Keizer. Chet
worked as a superintendent
for Monarch Foods while Ann
worked as a secretary for the
superintendent of the state of
Oregon Land Board, helping
develop parks along highways.
She also attended Chemeketa
Community College and at-
tained a “professional secre-
tary” designation.
While doing research for
the Land Board, Ann noted
little had been written about
the history of Keizer. She de-
cided that when she retired,
she would research Keizer his-
tory and write about it.
Chet retired in 1976 at
age 62 and Ann did the same
within a year. She then began
researching Keizer history, in-
terviewing the descendants
of some of Keizer’s founding
families, including the Keizur
family. Over a 13-year period,
Ann wrote articles on Keizer
history which were published
in both the Keizertimes and the
Keizer News.
In 1990 when Ann was 77
years of age, 70 articles were
compiled into a book called
Looking Back.
She wasn’t done. Ann con-
tinued writing about Keizer
history and, in 1995, another
43 stories were published in
a second book called More
Looking Back. Ann became the
authoritative historian of the
Keizer area and was relied on
as an accurate source of his-
torical information. The Mar-
ion County Historical Society
referred questions to her.
Ann spearheaded the res-
toration of the 1916 Keizer
School, which was to be de-
molished to make way for de-
velopment. After Ann worked
on the project for 10 years,
the building was restored and
became home to the Keizer
Heritage Foundation. Ann
donated the rights to her fi rst
book to the Heritage Founda-
tion, which continues to sell
copies.
For her efforts to document
Keizer history and restore the
old school, Ann received the
Historic Preservation Award
and Medal from the Oregon
State Society of the Daugh-
ters of the American Revo-
lution. That 2005 honor was
endorsed by several historical
organizations, including the
Marion County Historical
Society which described her
as a “vital historian” and her
work as scholarly, skillful, well-
crafted and enlightening.
Ann was also an artist,
painting seascapes, landscapes
and other scenes from photos
taken while traveling.
In retirement, Ann and
Chet traveled to 26 countries
including European countries,
Russia and Australia. The cou-
ple also traveled around the
United States, mostly by car.
In 1996, Ann and Chet,
both age 82, moved into the
Willamette Lutheran Re-
tirement Community. Chet
passed away on Sept. 15, 2002.
They had been married 64
years. Ann later moved to
an assisted living facility and
fi nally to Spring Ridge at
Charbonneau in Wilsonville
in November 2009.
Ann was preceded in death
by her husband in 2002,
daughter Susan Bizeau in
1999, sister Rosalie Michalek
in 2005 and brother Joseph
Vejlupek in 2000. Survivors
include sons Peter Lossner of
Lake Oswego and Michael
Lossner of Peachtree City,
Georgia; grandchildren Chris-
ti Lossner, Zephyr Bizeau,
Luke Bizeau, Gabriel Bizeau,
Stephen Lossner, Michele
Lossner and David Lossner;
13 great-grandchildren and
numerous cousins, nieces and
nephews.
A memorial service will be
held Friday, April 24 at 11 a.m.
in the Willamette Lutheran
Retirement Community in
Keizer.
Arrangements are by Keiz-
er Funeral Chapel.