Lorraine E.(Maike) Lewis

Lorraine E. Maike Lewis, 92, of Topeka, passed away Friday, April 11, 2014.

She was born January 13, 1922, in Lyndon, Kansas, the daughter of Herman and Katherine (Picolet) Maike. She attended school in Vassar, KS, graduated from Lyndon High School in 1941and attended Clarks Business School. She moved to Topeka in the early 1950's.

Lorraine was employed by the State Department of Administration, KPL Service Center and retired from Washburn University in 1982. She was also employed by Capitol City Real Estate.

Mrs. Lewis was Queen Bee of the Red Hat Society Atria Hearthstone. Mrs. Lewis was Queen Bee of the Red Hat Society Atria Hearthstone. She attended First Baptist Church of Silver Lake.

Survivors include two daughters, Carolyn Crow, and Shari Lewis; a son, Johnnie Lewis, all of Topeka; four grandchildren, J. Karl Jacobs, Adrian Brown, Matthew Lewis and Marissa Lewis; and four great-grandchildren, Deshawn Brown, Alysiana Brown, Angel Brown and Avontay Brown. She was preceded in death by her parents, four siblings, Esther Edmonds, Gilbert Maike, Elsie P. Harris and Harold Maike.

Lorraine loved music and enjoyed singing. Another of her passions was writing poetry which she enjoyed doing throughout her life (see two of her poems below). She also loved vacationing in Panama City Beach, Florida.

A memorial ceremony will be at 1 p.m., Thursday, April 17, 2014 at Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, 1321 S.W. 10th Avenue, Topeka. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service. Private interment of the cremated remains will be at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery, Topeka. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Midland Care, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, KS 66606.

To leave a special message for Lorraine's family, please visit the guestbook below.

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Smile

Lord, help me make someone smile today,
Give a note of cheer along lifes way,
No matter how badly I may feel.
Let me to no one else reveal
My inward feeling I nor appeal
For sympathy, dear Lord you see,
I want to leave it all with thee.

Lord, help me make someone smile today,
A note of cheer in my own little way,
For let us remember and not forget.
We pass this way but once: and yet
What good for others we may do,
Somehow rewards come back to you.

Sometimes I feel that other think
They can't be happy, they're on the brink,
That life is such a serious thing,
And values placed above the King,
So let us set our own values straight,
For comes the day twill be the late.

We learn thru many heartaches and tears,
Down the path of life to the middle years,
We realize we made to much,
Of post mistakes and hurls and such

So let us always bear in mind,
To keep a smile, say a word that's kind,
It was said before, will say again,
We pass this way but once – my friend.

Written by Lorraine Lewis – July 1976.

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Waiting

Have you gone to God for an answer,
To a prayer you've prayed so long?
And He answered you with silence.
That went on, and on, and on.

While you waited and kept on believing.
That His answer was on the way,
But the stoic silence persisted,
Day after day after day.

Sometimes you become impatient
Sometimes your anger flared.
Until you asked the question
God, are really there?

Your faith was growing weaker
Your hopes were growing dim
But still you knew the answer
Would be complete in Him.

You must keep on believing,
There is no other way.
Your answer is forthcoming,
Someday in His own way.

Written by Lorraine Lewis