November 16, 1925 – August 26, 2026
Lois (Bossard) Cable Hossler, 100, of Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville, Ohio, stepped into Heaven on Wednesday morning, August 26, 2026. From her start date on June 1, 2007, to the end of her nineteen years as a BRC resident, Lois gratefully received loving support, quality care, and a sense of belonging from staff members, family, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Paul W. Cable, who passed away on June 22, 1989, and her second husband, Horace E. Hossler, who passed away on July 25, 2004, her parents, John and Irene (Moyer) Bossard, and all of her siblings, Eileen Bossard (Harold) Crall (Paul) Grabill, Nila Bossard (Paul) Mast, Robert (Marie) Bossard, and John (Ardis) Bossard.
Lois is survived by her three daughters, Carolyn (Samuel) Playfair of Columbia, South Carolina, Grace Ann (Dean) White of Greenville, Ohio, and Elaine (Ron) Bergman of Sunman, Indiana; Horace’s children, Esther (Phil, deceased) Bailey of New Carlisle, Ohio, James (JoAnn) Hossler of Franklin, Nebraska, William (Margaret) Hossler of Lowell, Michigan, John (deceased) (Colleen) Smith Hossler of Madison, Indiana, Kenneth (deceased) (Sue LaVoie) Hossler of Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth (deceased) Hossler, Ruth Hossler of Troy, Ohio.
Grandchildren: Rebecca Playfair, Benjamin Playfair, Brent (Amy) White, Kristen (Jeremy) Long, Jason White, Darren (Danielle) White, Chad Presley, Nathan (Ronica) Presley, Michael (Cecily Hill) Presley, Jonathan (Noni Winkler) Presley, Jared (Annelis) Presley, Doug (Suzi) Bergman, Elisa (Adam) Garlitch, Ann (Aaron) Kincer; Horace’s Grandchildren: Philip (Kristen) Bailey, Cynthia (Dan) Dinkler, Bryan (Lisa) Bailey, Tim (Ann) Hossler, Jackie (Don) Weldy, Jeff (Shalon) Hossler, Jim (Heather) Hossler, Josh (Raelynn) Hossler, Katie (Josh) Ash, Robin (Steve) Gamble, Andy (Chris) Hossler, Aimee (Mike) Hrunek, Stacey (Adam) Lamb, Chris (Elise) LaVoie, Erin (Andrew) Gantzer, LeighAnn (Jason) Atchison.
Great-grandchildren: Caleb Playfair, Austin White, Isaac White, Carli Hensley, Timothy White, Lex Long, Claralyn White, Josie White, Eli Long, Harper White, Cecilia Presley, Alexander (Kayla) Presley, Zackary Presley, Caitlyn Presley, Dillon Presley, Devin Presley, Kayla (Cameron) Washnock, Emily Taylor, Katie Baier, Megan Kincer, Joey Kincer, Quinn Bergman; Horace’s great-grandchildren: David (Mandy) Bailey, Mitchell (Chaira) Bailey, Amanda (Bee) Vang, Heidi (Michael) McFall, Adele (Jon) Vallier, Natalie (Justin) Stradler, Daniel (Grace) Dinkler, Davy (Jonny) Kuta, Mary (Josh) Peel, Stephen (Joey) Dinkler, Noah (Helena) Dinkler, Keith (Kaitlin) Bailey, Kate (Marcus) Phillips, Pete Bailey, Abigail Hossler, Elise Hossler, Spenser (Mark) Bazen, Dillon (Celena) Weldy, Dayne (Kenzie) Weldy, Davis Weldy. Parker (Courtney) Hossler, Jamison (Brooklynn) Hossler, Taylor (Caleb) Fervida, Brennan Hossler, Madison Hossler, Chase Hossler, Hudson Hossler, Dawson Hossler, Ethan Hossler, Blake Hossler, Maddie Hossler, AvaRae Hossler, AdaLyn Hossler, AnaBel Hossler, Carter Ash, Finley Ash, Hannah (Ethan) Babler, Adin Gamble, Silas Gamble, Asher Gamble, Midian Gamble, Keziah Gamble, Aniyah Gamble, Eden Hossler, Mercy Hossler, Aubrey Hrunek, Kane Hrunek, Ryce Hrunek, Christina Lamb, Emma Lamb, Becken Lamb, Isla LaVoie, Ivy Gantzer, Olive Gantzer, Bentley Atchison, Brooklyn Atchison, Baylie Atchison, Beckett Atchison.
Great-great-grandchildren: Wylie Presley, Regan Washnock, Nolan Washnock, Rylan Washnock; Horace’s great-great-grandchildren: Ezra Bailey, Lucy Bailey, Silas Vang, Isaiah Vang, Abram Vang, Arvo McFall, Judah Vallier, Jonathan Vallier, Seth Vallier, Malachi Vallier, Winn Stradler, Jack Kuta, Rosie Kuta, Nathaniel Peel, Amelia Peel, Ivy Dinkler, Ronan Dinkler, Isla Bailey, Clark Bailey, Piper Bazen, Rosie Hossler.
A celebration of Lois’ life will be held at 10:00 AM on Monday, September 21 at the Pleasant View Missionary Church, 5231 Gettysburg-Pitsburg Road, Greenville, Ohio, with Pastors Gary Oser and Bill Hossler officiating. Burial will follow in the Gettysburg Cemetery.
Lois’ family will receive guests on Sunday afternoon, September 20, 2026, from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM in the Zechar Bailey Funeral Home in Greenville.
Memorial contributions may be given in Lois’ memory to World Partners, PO Box 9333, Fort Wayne, IN 46899.
Lois’ Life Story
Second of five now deceased siblings (Eileen, Lois, Nila, Johnny, and Bob), Lois was born November 16, 1925, at her Grandpa Moyer’s house in Brown City, Michigan. Her parents, John and Irene (Moyer) Bossard raised her on their farm about five miles outside of town.
Bible reading, prayer, fellowship (church), and ministry was a way of life in the Bossard home. These practices nurtured in Lois a love for God, Jesus, and people. No wonder she accepted Jesus as her Savior and Lord at age 8! Throughout her years, Lois followed her Lord Jesus by making him her example. Of course, she continued the practices she learned through her parents: Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and ministry.
From an early age, Lois had two great loves: piano and nursing. When she grew older, a third love evolved—travel.
Lois finished high school at sixteen and moved to Detroit to work as a live-in maid. Although her host family paid for her piano lessons, when it came time to choose a career, nursing won, but she always kept her passion for the piano.
That said, on February 1, 1944, during WW2, Lois began her nurse’s training in Detroit. Since she was in the Cadet Nurse Corps program, the government covered her education in exchange for service at Deaconess Hospital.
After graduating from nurse’s training, Lois attended Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana, paying her way by serving the newly founded school as the first campus nurse. There, she met her first husband, Paul Cable, who grew up on a Darke County, Ohio, farm on Pitsburg-Gettysburg Road. They married on June 17, 1950, at United Missionary Church in Brown City, Michigan. For two years, between 1951 and 1953, Lois supported Paul as he pastored the Greenville United Missionary Church, 200 Hall St, Greenville, OH . By 1953, she and Paul crossed the Atlantic with their two-year-old daughter, Carolyn. Thus, they began the first of three terms of missionary service in Nigeria, West Africa.
In Nigeria, Lois was often the only available medical care for miles, handling everything from routine care to emergencies such as snake bites and childbirth. One day, she amputated a toe using a chisel and hammer. While Lois cared for medical needs, Paul supported the community alongside her, teaching and helping with building projects.
After three terms totaling ten years and two furloughs that summed up to five years, Lois and her family returned to the U.S. where she continued her nursing profession at Wayne Hospital in Greenville, primarily in pediatrics and maternity. She openly confessed, “I don’t believe there has ever been a time I have assisted and witnessed a child being born without crying at the miracle of birth.”
Lois’s nursing career spanned fifty years and included service as camp nurse at Ludlow Falls Church Camp. No matter where she worked, she was dependable, flexible, practical, and kind. She followed rules when rules mattered, but also had the ingenuity to handle whatever came her way whether in a smoky hut or sanitized room.
Besides, her love for piano and nursing, Lois’s third passion was no secret. She eagerly sought opportunities to travel, and those journeys took her to many places across the globe. For starters, New York City, London, and Lagos became familiar stops on her way to and from Nigeria, West Africa.
When Lois and her family left Nigeria in 1968, they made their way back to Darke County via Europe, visiting Zurich, Berne, Paris, and Amsterdam. In the decades that followed, she found more opportunities to continue her travels abroad.
After husband Paul passed away on June 22, 1989, two ministry trips took Lois to Ecuador and Jamaica. She also spent time with her brother, Bob, and wife Marie at their time share in Cancun. One memorable day in 1994, she and daughters Carolyn, Ann, and Elaine began a car trip to Ontario, Canada, to celebrate a former fellow missionary’s birthday. That excursion included watching a Shakespeare play at Ontario’s version of England’s Stratford Theater.
Almost eight years after first husband, Paul, passed away, Lois married Horace Hossler of New Carlisle. The December 30, 1997, wedding took place at Pleasant View Missionary Church on Pitsburg-Gettysburg Road. Lois cherished her expanded family of six kindhearted children along with new grandchildren.
Again, a widow (July 20, 2004), Lois, now 80, resumed her travels to foreign countries when she returned to Nigeria in 2005 with daughter, Ann, and Horace’s son, Bill, for the 100-year celebration of mission work there. Lois called this journey both a challenge and deeply rewarding after 35 years away.
For other destinations beyond America’s mainland, Lois toured England, Scotland, and Wales, and in 2006 stood in Israel and Rome. Cruises carried her across the Panama Canal and the coast of Alaska.
As much as she loved exploring the world overseas, Lois especially treasured visiting family, friends, and attending milestone events in the continental USA. Whether with first husband, Paul, second husband, Horace, family members, friends, or even alone, you could find Lois in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, etc.
Once, Lois boarded a train in Indiana with daughter, Carolyn. They rode along a northern route to Portland, Oregon, to attend a Missionary Church General Conference. They returned to Indiana on a southern route. On another occasion Lois and daughter, Elaine, flew to Park City, Utah to spend a few days with Lois’s brother, Bob, and wife, Marie.
Underlying her love for music, nursing, and travel, Lois found fulfillment both as a leader and helper. These continual threads bound together not only Lois’s early years, but also her later years. In the late 70’s she and first husband, Paul, were in charge of Junior Church at Pleasant View Missionary Church. She also served as Girl Scout Cookie chairman for the Pitsburg troop for three years.
In 1981, members of the East Central District of the Missionary Church voted for Lois to preside as president for the WMS (Women’s Missionary Society), a role she continued until 1988 when she changed from WMS president to district prayer director. Then, after her marriage to Horace in 1997, Lois took charge of the New Carlisle Missionary senior group. She maintained that responsibility until her move to BRC on June 1, 2007.
A little-known fact about Lois is that she wrote missionary related stories and articles for Missionary Church Denomination publications. In addition, she penned poems about life and family.
During her nineteen years at BRC, Lois continued writing, using childhood experiences as inspiration. Sometimes the community would publish her work. Meanwhile, if you heard piano music while strolling about in the BRC main building, you might have noticed the piano and Lois seated on the bench in front of the keyboard.
No matter where she served as musician, nurse, traveler, writer, leader, or helper, Lois’s life was marked by a spirit of adventure and a deep love for the people she spent time with along the way.
