Lola Corder

Lola V. Corder was a strong woman who knew how to take care of herself in any situation. Being a caring wife and mother, she knew how to make sacrifices for her family. People around her knew they could count on Lola in time of need and, in times of celebration, she was ready to have a good time. Lola was very outgoing and liked to be with a crowd of people who, in turn, enjoyed the lively spirit that surrounded Lola. Lola was born to Clark and Edith (Wiseman) Hall in Muskegon, Michigan on December 18, 1925. It was the decade of the Roaring Twenties when liquor prohibition gave rise to speakeasies, and bootlegging and Flapper fashions invaded the social scene. Jazz was hot, Vaudeville was going strong, and the Grand Ole Opry began broadcasting on the radio. During those years, the Halls were busy at home with a growing family that included Marvin, Lola, Chuck, Liz and Elaine. The children grew up under the loving care of their parents, through their fathers work at Continental Motors and their mothers attention at home. On Muskegons east side, Lola attended Marquette Elementary School through the 6th grade and Wilson High School through the 11th grade. During her formative years, Lolas father had taught her to be strong and take care of herself, which she didand more. She often protected her brothers and sisters and even earned a reputation as a bit of a bully. Yet this tough tomboy was tender enough when it came to her first job. Lola found work at Mercy Hospital, where she lived for a time with the nuns in the nurses quarters. She really liked it there and wanted to become a nurse, but Lolas life took a different path when she learned she was going to have a baby. In February of 1945, Lola gave birth to a sweet little girl she named Judy. It was while Lola and Judy were living at her parents home that Lola started dating a friend of the family. Vernon Clifford Corder was 18 years older than she, and Lola saw in him a good, steady man for herself and her daughter. The engaged couple married on December 3, 1949, and Cliff adopted young Judy, who was soon joined by several brothers and sisters. Joyce was born in 1951, Jeanette in 1953, Mike in 1955, Joan in 1957 and Brenda in 1959. The family lived on McArthur Street near Orchard View High School, and when the children were all of school age, Lola went to work as a bartender at the Grey Goose Tavern, located on the corner of Hall and Sheridan. By the time she moved on to the Highway Bar on Apple Avenue, her reputation had preceded her. Lola knew how to handle a crowd, whether it was keeping heavy drinkers in line or telling stories to patrons. On occasion, she even entertained them by yodeling, a skill she picked up from relatives in Tennessee. Lola loved a crowd and they loved her. Lola and Cliff loved each other as well, but they also liked to argue. They didnt see eye-to-eye on Lolas fondness for the lottery, and Cliff took to hiding some of his money. Still, Lola bought tickets every week at a party store nearby and instructed the clerks exactly how she wanted them drawn in a certain pattern. She seemed to win a few times a year and actually won some big prizes as well. In truth, Lola was very generous with money. She readily helped her family financially, even if it meant less for herself. Lola was the kind of person her family and friends could always count on when they were down. Lola was a true friend, and she kept in touch with everyone. She liked to socialize, playing cards with family or bingo with friends. She was a member of the Pool League and, as a regular at the bingo halls, Lola was given the nickname Bingo Queen. She wore the title proudly, using it as her handle on the CB radio she kept in her bedroom. Lola was especially caring and dependable as her husband Cliff began to age and health problems set in. She took very good care of him until his death in 1990. Lola wasnt without her own difficulties. In a car accident years earlier, she had suffered injuries that forced her to quit her job. In March of 2007, a main sewer line broke near her house and flooded the home with damage so severe the house had to be torn down. Fortunately, the county eventually compensated her for it, but by then, Lola had gone to live with her daughter Joan for a while and then with her daughter Brenda. Gradually, the years took their toll and Lolas health began to fail. At the age of 82, Lola died at Brendas home on Thursday, October 9, 2008, surrounded by the family she loved so dearly. They include her son, Mike (Connie) Corder; daughters, Judy (Ed) Burns, Joyce (Dave) Riggs, Jeanette (Steve) Umlor, Joan (Al) Palencar, Brenda (Tom) Scott; stepdaughters, Viola Dow, Barb MacIntaffer; 16 grandchildren, several great grandchildren; brother, Chuck (Donna) Hall; sister, Liz Shaffer; special friends, Janice Griggs, Nancy Millis, Shirley Haynes, Buck and Sally Mund. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, granddaughter Lola M., brothers Marvin and Robert Hall, and sister Elaine Bisard. A service to celebrate Lolas life will be held Monday, October 13, 2008, 1:00 PM at Clock Chapel with Rev. Jonathan Rager officiating. Interment at Sunrise Memorial Gardens. Friends may visit the family on Sunday, 2-4 and 6-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hackley VNS Hospice. To leave a memory of Lola or sign the online guest book, visit www.lifestorynet.com. Arrangements made by Clock Life Story Funeral Home Muskegon.