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nonite College — as it was then — if they chose to pursue higher education. These opportunities were a driving factor in the family’s return to Harrisonburg, Marion’s hometown. With the strong family connection to EMU, it seems fitting that Lois stayed after her college graduation. She was hired to work in the Historical Library and as a clerical assistant in the president’s office. It was President John R. Mumaw who encouraged Lois to apply for a scholarship through the Council for Advancement of Small Colleges during the 1960-61 school year. She received one of the awards to attend Harvard University, where she earned a master’s degree in Germanic Languages and Literatures. Despite her adventures to graduate school, Lois knew she wanted return to the Valley. “This was home, and I always wanted to come back here,” Lois said of Harrisonburg. She returned to her alma mater to teach Latin and German, before finding her way to the stacks of the library. Later, she would earn another degree in Library and Information Science from Catholic University in
In her spare time, Lois Bowman, 77, rides her bike, talks on ham radio and plays the fiddle at weekly jam sessions held Monday nights. Until she retires in June 2014, Lois can be found among the shelves at Eastern Mennonite University’s Menno Simons Historical Library.
Washington, D.C., eventually becoming the main librarian in Menno Simons, succeeding Grace Showalter. Because EMU is not exclusive to Mennonite students, Lois has spent years around those of varying faiths, strengthening her open-mindedness toward others. “To me, the important thing is that we have faith in Christ and commit our lives to Him,” Lois said. “That’s what matters … and if we can’t agree on points of doctrine, we still accept each other.” Although EMU has made her more accepting, tolerance was a value she learned during childhood. She says her father, Marion, was a conservative Mennonite, but taught her an important lesson: “Do what you think is right, but don’t criticize others. Accept others.” “That was a good way to grow up,” Lois added. Being raised in a Mennonite family,
Like a mustard seed
faith was always important and Lois was taught to live a life devoted to God and serving others. She says faith is still the most important thing in her life — something she feels she has the responsibility to pass on, especially to her family. “Faith has been part of the daily conversation,” Wanda Harder, Lois’ daughter, said of her childhood. “It was how my parents approached life, and we prayed about things that were happening.” Wanda said faith and service were central in the household, remembering having students living with her family. “We had tenants ... that became like extended family. I was an only child, [but] for Christmas … [there were] eight other people who hung stockings at our house because we adopted them as family.” Lois’ co-workers also recognize the devoted service she extends to others. “One of the things I respect with
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