Lois was a kind and caring woman who took great pride in her family and in keeping a clean, warm, and welcoming home. She worked for Morrison’s Cafeteria for 40 years, serving as a manager for much of her career. She also had a special love for cats and enjoyed the companionship they brought her throughout her life.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 63 years, Gene Nates; her grandson, Devin A. Herlong; her parents, Alma and John Heffner; and her siblings, Alva “Bo” Heffner, Joncie Ann Sanders, Myrtle “Tootsie” Fuller, Peggy Woods, and Laura Diane Heffner.
Lois is survived by her daughter, Lucinda Bryson (David L. Herlong); her granddaughter, Amber Herlong (Lisa Maki); her great-grandson, Jonah Herlong; her brother-in-law, Pat Woods; her sister-in-law, Betty L. Nates; and her nephew, Elmer Sanders Jr. (Robin Sanders), whom she loved and considered much like a grandchild.
She also leaves behind many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews from both her family and the family of her late husband.
Throughout her life, Lois was blessed with many close friends whom she considered family. Some preceded her in death, while many remain to cherish her memory, including the Finch family of Pauline, South Carolina.
A visitation will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Elmwood Funeral Home in Columbia, South Carolina.
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