Lila Mahr

Lila A. Mahr, 87, of Waukon, IA, passed away Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 2nd at 11:00 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dorchester, IA with Fr. Donald Hawes officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary's Cemetery, Dorchester. Friends may call from 3:00 PM-7:00 PM Friday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon with a scripture service there at 2:45 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Good Samaritan Center, St. Mary's Rosary Society or St. Mary's Cemetery.

Lila Ann Mahr, daughter of Reinhard and Alvina (Auna) Lane, was born February 8, 1929, in Spring Grove, MN. She received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation at Highland Lutheran Church, in rural Spring Grove. Lila graduated from Spring Grove High School and worked at the Spring Grove Bank. On December 15, 1947, she married the love of her life, Raymond James Mahr, at which time she became a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dorchester, IA. They lived in Cedar Rapids, IA, where together they worked at Quaker Oats. In 1949 they moved back to the Dorchester area and farmed until 1955. They then owned and operated Ray and Lila's Tavern in Dorchester for 10 years. Lila was widowed in 1966 and worked several jobs to raise her family. She was a Post Master sub at the Dorchester Post Office, a waitress at the Dorchester Supper Club and later earned her certification as a Nurses Aide from Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, Iowa, and worked as a Home Health Aide. Lila moved to Waukon in 1988.


She was a member of the Sons of Norway for over 70 years, active in the Rosary Society at St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Spring Grove Legion Auxiliary. Lila volunteered at Veterans Memorial Hospital, St. Vincent de Paul and Makee Manor; all in Waukon. She loved playing cards and bingo, dancing, watching the birds, playing with family pets, making Norwegian foods, especially lefse, and gambling. She enjoyed traveling to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Arizona and Colorado. But most of all she loved visits with family and friends.

Survivors include her children: Robert Mahr of La Crosse, WI, and his children Christina (Mike) Eder, Raymond (Stephanie) Mahr and Catherina (Dan) Novy; Julie (Terry) Bartels of La Crosse, WI, and her children Jared (Nina) Bartels and Jenna Bartels; Dennis (Kerri) Mahr of Waukon and his children Elizabeth and Patrick Mahr; Elaine Mahr of McGregor, IA; Melinda (Jerry) Berns of Waukon and her children Marshall (Meagan Hauser) Berns and Rachel (Derek Dotzler) Berns; Roger (Vicky Kurk) Mahr of Waukon and his children Ciara (Matt Snitker) Mahr and Nathan Mahr; and Karen (Dave) Cota of Harpers Ferry, IA, and her children Casey and Kelsey Cota; seven great-grandchildren: Todd Eder, Westley and Evan Mahr, Lila and Gianna Bartels, Tayla Berns, and Gage Dotzler; two sisters: Evelyn Paananen Valdez of Lake Villa, IL, and Helen Melbostad of Spring Grove, MN. She is preceded in death by her parents, Reinhard and Alvina (Auna) Lane, her husband Raymond, four children in infancy: Maryanne, Elizabeth, Rachael, and Thomas Mahr; two daughters-in-law: Jennie Mahr and Carol Mahr; two brothers: Leonard and Ralph Lane; and a sister Bernice Myhre.

Honorary casketbearers are all those who have shared a game of cards with Lila. Casketbearers are her grandsons Ray Mahr, Jared Bartels, Marshall Berns, Nathan Mahr, Casey Cota, and Patrick Mahr.