03/06/2026
Lois Jean Sprayberry
Lois Jean (Williams) Sprayberry, of East Dubuque, IL, received her well-deserved angel wings on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Stonehill Care Center, Dubuque.
Visitation for family and friends will be from 3 to 6 p.m., Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Miller Funeral Home, East Dubuque, IL. Services will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 9, 2026, with Deacon Mike Timmerman officiating. Burial will be in the East Dubuque Cemetery.
Lois was born on August 27, 1949, in Dubuque, IA, daughter of Harry and Loretta (Bettcher) Williams. She grew up in East Dubuque and graduated from Wahlert High School in 1967.
As a young girl, Lois loved riding her horse, Rowdy, and participated in local rodeos. She was able to board Rowdy at The Vandermillen’s right behind her home on Hill Street.
In her early 20s she traveled to Missouri with friends for a vacation and that is where she met James “Jim” Sprayberry, a tall handsome Texas man with the accent to match. After Lois returned home from that trip thinking she would never see that tall drink of water ever again, somehow, someway, Jim found his way to East Dubuque, and showed up on the porch of Lois’ childhood home. They were married on November 11, 1974, at Grandview Heights Baptist Church, Dubuque.
Lois worked for a time at Montgomery Wards until Jim was offered a fantastic job opportunity while working on the movie set of F.I.S.T. in Dubuque. In 1977, they moved to Van Nuys, California, and later to Simi Valley. While living out west Lois started up a catering company that would provide meals to the movie crew and actors.
The movie industry allowed Lois to travel with Jim all over California and to Hawaii, where the movie “Last Flight of Noah’s Ark” was filmed staring Elliot Gould and Ricky Schroeder. Another adventure was spent in Boston while filming “Spencer for Hire.” Lois’ most memorable time was spent during the production of the 1985 miniseries “North and South” which was filmed in South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. She would tell stories about catering to the cast and on many occasions ate dinner with Patrick Swayze and Kirstie Alley.
Wanting a new adventure, Lois went back to school and became a nail technician and also sold Mary Kay Cosmetics. Although she didn’t get her pink Cadillac, she settled for a powder blue one and later traded it in for the classic black that her Daddy (Harry) called the “Ghetto Blaster.” Upon purchasing a new home in Simi Valley, Lois decided try out another new endeavor and became a real estate agent for Century 21 for a bit.
Later the higher powers intervened and led Lois and Jim back to East Dubuque, to be closer to family in May, 1999. They cherished memories that were made in a short time with her parents. Harry passed away on November 2, 2000, and not too long after by her mother, Loretta, on April 12, 2001. Then without warning the call came that Jim passed away in the sleeper of his semi in California, on February 18, 2002.
Lois was an incredibly strong, loving, kind and giving woman and became a mother figure to her nieces and a grandmother to her great-nephews and nieces. There was never a dull moment when “E.O.” was around, especially giving tractor rides, going to the Dells, frosting cookies, coloring Easter Eggs, shopping trips and those many morning breakfast trips to Burger King and McDonalds.
When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she faced it head on and never let it define her, nor did she ever complain. And when she was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time in 2009, she fought it even harder. Lois however wasn’t able to knock out the demons of brain encephalopathy when they invaded in her mind and body in 2019, causing the wonderful person so many grew to love slowly fade away.
Those left to keep her spunky spirit alive are her brother, Kevin Williams, of East Dubuque, IL; two nieces/daughters, Tracy (John) Loso-Noel, of Dubuque, IA, and Tiffany (Ron) McAndrew-Willenbring, of Peosta, IA; great-nephews/grandsons, Brandon Noel and Justin Noel, both of Dubuque, IA, two great-nieces/granddaughters, Morgan Noel, of Dubuque, IA, and Peyton Willenbring, of Peosta, IA; niece, Lesley Ann Potter, of Dubuque, IA; stepson, John Sprayberry, of Winnebago, IL; a brother-in-law, Pat McAndrew, of Dubuque, IA; step-grandchildren, aunts and uncles; and numerous cousins.
Lois was also preceded in death by her sister, Pamela Ann (Williams) McAndrew, on September 16, 1985; an infant brother, James; and a stepson, James “Randy” Sprayberry, on December 26, 2013.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Luther Manor, Stonehill Care Center and Hospice of Dubuque for the care and love they gave Lois over the last 6 years.
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