Balloons By Loni

n the San Francisco Peninsula. She graduated with an Associates in Arts degree from San Francisco City College. Loni was married 27 years to Al Menter and they had four children. In 1975 the family moved to Idaho and Al worked for Morrison Knudsen as an executive in Boise. Loni was left a widow when Al was killed in a car accident. Six years later she met and married Bob Trude. For their first year of marriage they followed the teaching of Deutoronomy 24:5 that says, "When a man takes a wife, he shall not serve in the military or do any business. He shall be free for one year and cheer his wife." So they spent their first year of marriage traveling around the country in their 30-foot travel trailer. They had a fantastic 5-year marriage until she was left a widow again when Bob died of a massive heart attack. After Bob’s death Loni made balloon animals and balloon shapes for children as therapy for herself. She liked it so much that she kept learning more. It turned into a career and business in August, 2005 when Loni became "Lollipop" the balloon artist. From 2009 to 2013 Loni won six 1st place awards for seven of her balloon sculptures. In that same time she won 16 awards for her photography. Boise Weekly Magazine did a full-page feature story about Lollipop on February 19, 2012. Articles about her awards and books appear in the newspaper regularly. In December, 2013, Loni turned her talents to working with businesses. She began making balloon creations that represent and communicate a company's brand message. She worked with local newspapers to get her creations and her clients into the papers in the form of PSAs (Public Service Announcements). Loni says, "Smaller newspapers are starving for something different and creative. They really like what I offer and say, 'Keep those submissions coming!"