Jessica Mancini

 Per 3/4

12/2/10

 

Biographical Essay

 

            Once a remarkable businesswoman, a loving parent, grand parent, wife… and worked on a top-secret assignment to create the Polaris missile!   Ms. Lois Evelyn Derrickson, currently Lois King, is a proud woman with many life accomplishments to cherish.   She is a unique, outstanding woman with a life story worth telling!

                  Lois was born in Decatur Indiana on August 19, 1932.  Her and her parents, John DeLafette Derrickson and Freida Mathys Derrickson (married December 10, 1919) moved to Willard Ohio shortly after her birth, where she spent her childhood.   Her hometown was a very simple place, but she loved it nonetheless.  “I had a very comfortable childhood.  We lived on a nice tree-shaded street with brick sidewalks and roads.  It was very pretty.  Dull but pretty.”, says Lois, reminiscing about the old town.  Although she had a mainly peaceful childhood, she went through some tough times as well when her father was laid off during the depression in the 30s.  For a while then, John Derrickson had to move back to Indiana to stay with Lois’s grandparents, but her and her mother stayed in Willard.  She attended Willard schools all the way from elementary to high school and graduated top of her class.