Lovis G. Brodbeck of Marthasville, Missouri passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home on Saturday May 18th, 2024.

Mrs. Brodbeck, the daughter of the late R. Gordon and Eleanor Smith (St. Louis, Missouri) was born on April 13, 1935, in Cranston, Rhode Island. She married Frederick W. Brodbeck in Kirkwood, Missouri on December 16, 1961, and recently celebrated 62 years of marriage.

Lovis was a beloved elementary and Sunday School teacher who emphasized living a life of constant learning. She was always coming up with interesting topics and ways to live a full life. She loved to say, “If you’re bored, you’re boring!” and emphasized to her kids and grandkids to expand their VFOGI, or “Vast Fund of General Information,” a concept she learned from Hugh Semple, a dapper and astute teacher at The Principia Upper School, in her World Problems class.

Lovis had a very creative childhood in Cranston, Rhode Island. Growing up with her younger twin siblings Debbie and Duncan, the three of them were constantly inventing games, making realistic towns around Duncan’s train track, digging a huge hole behind the garage for a fort, playing cops and robbers, enjoying softball with the neighbors and performing music and home spun plays for 5 cents. They enjoyed a simple life and played like they were being paid to do it!

When Lovis was 16, her parents made the decision to move to St. Louis to enroll her in The Principia. She graduated from Principia High School in 1953 and attended Principia College in Elsah, IL graduating in 1957. She spent a year in Wales as part of the experience in International Living and then became an elementary teacher in the Ritenour School District. Eric Bole recruited her to teach at The Principia in St. Louis. She taught 3rd grade while her mother, Eleanor Smith taught 4th grade. Her mother used to say, “Lovis, you start them, and I’ll finish them!” In 1964 she took time off to raise her two children, Steve and Amy. When she resumed teaching in 1977, she taught 1st grade for 13 years and lived close enough to walk to school everyday rain or shine and of course her children did the same. She connected with her students, bringing a creative, loving, yet disciplined approach to her classroom. Many of her students can still recite character building songs that “Mrs. B” wrote for the guitar. “Mrs. B.” expected her students to excel and they responded to her teaching style. In 1991, she retired from teaching and in 1992 moved with her husband, Fred, to Vogelsang Farm in Marthasville, MO.

Lovis enjoyed a wonderful retirement and enjoyed the Marthasville Community. She was an active member of PEO in Washington, MO and she and Fred were involved in the Marthasville Chamber of Commerce.

Family was the center of her life, and she enjoyed spending time with her 5 grandchildren. As a master teacher, Lovis was a valuable resource to her children as they became parents. Firm and loving discipline was her expertise and her example was appreciated. All she had to do was give you that look and you straightened up.

Lovis and Fred went on 102 RV trips throughout the United States and Canada. Two of their favorite trips were following the Lewis and Clark and Oregon Trails. They cruised around the world for four months and also made it to Antarctica on a separate trip. Lovis taught her family that “experiences are more valuable than things.”

Her ancestors lived in the Plymouth, MA area for over 400 years and she was directly related to ten of the 40 pilgrims who signed the Mayflower Compact. For over 50 years, Lovis was an active member of the Missouri chapter of the Mayflower Society and enjoyed sharing and speaking at schools about the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact’s foundational impact on the United States Constitution.

Lovis was completely devoted to the Christian Science Society in Washington, MO and served as Sunday School Teacher, Reader, Reading Room Librarian, Clerk, and pianist. The students especially loved her classes. In fact, she taught Sunday School right up to her last Sunday.

After retirement she continued to be a lifelong teacher. Here are a few examples:

•  “Less is more” was a theme in her life. She was a master at decluttering and enjoyed helping others learn the freedom of living with less. Lovis and Fred’s last RV was a truck camper called “Walden” named after Henry Thoreau’s book and they happily lived very simply in Walden for weeks at a time.
• In today’s fast paced world, she taught family the importance of solitude and would set a 15–30-minute timer for us to go outside, be quiet, and appreciate nature. Your most important ability is right thinking.
• Lovis was a proponent of going three or four days at a time with all the clocks covered to free one’s self of a sense of time pressure or limitations. She did this multiple times over the years.
• In the last few years Lovis was extremely interested in learning the art of meaningful conversations. She was naturally a question asker and taught her grandchildren that conversation should go back and forth like tennis. If you are doing all the talking or the subject is all about you, you are playing golf not tennis. Conversation is a give and take and Lovis thought one should ask thought provoking questions to make it interesting.
• Cricket was her last Welsh Corgi and she was devoted to training her. On the farm she set up a dog agility course which was well used. Cricket now lives with Amy and Mark and they are grateful Lovis was always the teacher!

Lovis Brodbeck is survived by her son, Steve (Monnie) Brodbeck of St. Louis County, MO, daughter Amy (Mark) Anderson of Town and Country, MO, her sister Deborah (Danny) Hall of Manchester, MO, her brother, Duncan Smith of Seminole, FL and five grandchildren: Hadley (Corbitt) Grow, Luke Anderson, Hannah Brodbeck, Lydia Brodbeck, and Cole Brodbeck.

A private family service was held at the family farm in June, 2024.

The family gratefully requests that any donations in Lovis’ honor be made to one of the
following:

• Christian Science Society of Washington, MO, 109 E 3rd St., Washington, MO
  63090 (www.cswashingtonmo.com).
• The Missouri Mayflower Society, c/o Dustin Peetz, Treasurer, 1517 Gold Leaf Dr,
  St. Louis, MO 63146
• A Tree Fund to plant trees on Vogelsang Farm in memory of Lovis and Fred.
  Throughout their lives they loved and planted trees. Please send a check made
  out to Amy Anderson to: Steve and Amy, Vogelsang Farm, 17039 Legion Hall
  Road, Marthasville, MO 63357 or Venmo Amy at @Amy-Anderson-168.