Lois Woleslagle née Lauffer

Lois Lauffer Woleslagle, a 1949 Norwin Graduate, served as Class Secretary and a Varsity Cheerleader. She dated and fell in love with the Captain of the Football team, Norman Woleslagle. They married in 1953, and settled in North Irwin where they raised two children, Mary Louise and Norman.

Norman’s dream was to always own his own paint store. In 1970 Norman and Lois opened Woleslagle’s Paint Store located on 4th Street in downtown Irwin. The store geared to selling Benjamin Moore Paint, wallpaper and paint supplies. Lois was the proprietor while Norman and his brother, Joe Woleslagle were the painting and wallpaper contractors. The business soon expanded to include custom contracting and home remodeling with son Norman as contractor. This year 2021 Interiors by Woleslagle is celebrating 51 years of serving its customers.

Lois co-founded the IBPA, Irwin Business and Professional Association, with fellow business owner, Lenny Santimyer. The two met every week to discuss and plan how to promote Irwin and how to make it healthy and vital. Some of the projects begun by IBPA include: Light up Night, which attracts thousands of people annually, various Craft shows, and other projects throughout the year. Lois herself spearheaded such projects as sidewalk benches, sidewalk flowerpots, sidewalk Christmas Trees, the Fourth Street Market, and Christmas Note Cards [depicting Irwin Architecture and Street scenes].

The project Lois is most proud of is collaborating with Penn Dot to erect signs marking Irwin’s boundaries along the Route 30 Corridor. She felt it was important for Irwin to be recognized. The IBPA, where Lois presides as President, still meets every Thursday with a large group of business owners.

Because of her hard work and dedication, Lois has won many honors and awards including Norwin Star’s 2003 and 2006 Citizen of the Year, the Irwin Business and Professional Association’s 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award, the Norwin Chamber of Commerce’s 2008 Volunteer of the Year, and the Norwin Rotary’s 2013 Paul Harris Fellow.

Throughout her entire business career, Lois has worked effortlessly to help earn Irwin the honorary title The Biggest Little Town in Pennsylvania.