Lois Claerbaut remembers that, when she was interviewed for the shipping clerk position, she was asked if she could commit to 9 months. That was 15 years ago.

This year, Lois retired at the age of 72. She looks younger than that, and she certainly acted younger, slinging heavy boxes around the mailroom.

Crown & Covenant Publications benefited from Lois’ attention to detail. Orders rarely came back because of mistakes.

Part of Lois’ secret is her love of packing an order. “I feel like I’m wrapping a present. I want it to arrive nicely and in good shape,” she said. She is a bit shy about explaining this, but the care with which she works is not a big surprise to those who know her.

Lois loves people. “I enjoy talking to customers,” she said. She would often chat with people about their church background and location.

Since she started working at Crown & Covenant, Lois has seen a lot of change in the mailroom. “The first year,” she said, “if I did six to eight orders that was a good day, and orders mostly came by mail. Now they come on the internet, and other booksellers order now. It can be 30-50 orders a day.”

“It is much more fun because there is more to do” is Lois’ assessment. Not everyone would feel that way, but Lois means it.

Lois is Frisian Dutch—“known for their stubbornness,” she points out—although people in the office would mention her eye for detail and joyful demeanor before any stubbornness. She grew up in the Christian Reformed Church and graduated from Calvin College. Her son Mark, who has since passed away, introduced her to the psalms when he was young. He had learned them from his teacher, Joyce Lynn, at Beaver County Christian School. By 1989, she and her husband, Dale, and their six children began to worship at Covenant Fellowship RPC in Pittsburgh, Pa.

God has blessed Lois with 17 grandchildren, including a set of quadruplets and a set of twins. Over the years, Lois has done a variety of jobs: 20 years as a preschool and elementary teacher, 13 years as a stay-at-home mom, and 15 years as a shipping clerk. Her retirement promises to be full of purpose and service. She is a deaconness in her congregation. She is looking forward to picking up some sewing, reading, and knitting that she had put on the back burner. And, of course, she has 17 grandchildren that love to spend time with their grandparents.

Crown & Covenant Publications and its customers were beneficiaries of Lois’ faithful service. The staff prays for God’s rich blessing in this next stage of her service in His kingdom.

—Lynne Gordon