Lana Lewison

Lana Marie Lewison, a former resident of Austin, died peacefully on April 5, 2020, at Three Crowns Park, Evanston, Illinois.

She was born January 15, 1948, in Austin, Minnesota, to Edwin and Margaret (Braford) Lewison. A graduate of Austin High School class of 1966, Lana was a member of and soloist with the school choir and was also active in the First Baptist Church choir and other church musical groups. She attended Austin Community College and graduated from Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) with a degree in secondary education and English. Following college, she taught English at Stewartville High School and then moved to Downers Grove, Illinois, and began working at Arthur Andersen & Company public accounting firm, headquartered in Chicago.  In 1974, Lana moved to Northbrook, Illinois, where she lived for 39 years. She was married to Philip Staples for 29 years.

Lana had a passion for music and was a gifted vocalist. She was a member of the Northbrook Women’s Club and sang with their choir. She also served for many years as a regular member of North Suburban Church choir (Deerfield, IL). Lana enjoyed traveling and was able to take many memorable trips with family and friends, including a mission trip to France and a trip to China. Her dogs Widget, Suzi Q and Buddy held a special place in her heart.

Lana is survived by two sisters - Janet Harris, Evanston, IL, and Kay (Floyd) Midura, Minnetonka, MN; and five nieces and nephews – John (Erin) Harris, Evanston, IL; Michael (Nicole) Harris, Evanston, IL; Allison Midura, Minneapolis, MN; Jared Midura, Fargo, ND; and Lindsay Midura, Chicago, IL.

She was preceded in death by her father in 1999 and her mother in 2013.

A memorial service in celebration of Lana's life will be held at the Hormel Historic Home, 208 4th Avenue N.W. in Austin, on Sunday, June 12, at 11:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of Lana are preferred to the Ted Fund (www.tedfund.org), which provides Evanston, Illinois, elementary students, whose families live below the poverty line, with the opportunity to attend local summer camps and programs.

Condolences may be left online at www.mayerfh.com