Mary Lou Cota

Mary Lou Cota, 90, of Harpers Ferry, IA, died Saturday, January 27, 2018, at her home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 30th, at 11:00 AM at St. Ann's - St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Harpers Ferry, with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial will be at St. Joseph's Paint Rock Cemetery, Harpers Ferry. Friends may call from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Monday at the St. Ann's - St. Joseph's Catholic Church Hall in Harpers Ferry. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Ann's-St. Joseph's Rosary Society or American Legion Auxuliary Unit 722, both of Harpers Ferry. Martin Funeral Home of Waukon is handling arrangements.

Mary Lou Cota was born May 23, 1927, on her parent's farm in Hanover Township rural Waukon, IA, the daughter of Patrick and Mary (Zoll) Welsh. She was baptized at St. Mary's Hanover Catholic Church and confirmed at St. Mary's Lycurgus Catholic Church, both in rural Waukon. Mary Lou graduated from St. Patrick High School and attended Waukon Jr. College for teaching. On June 22, 1948, she married Robert William Cota at St. Mary's Lycurgus Catholic Church. They farmed the Cota family farm milking cows, raising beef cows, hogs and grain. Mary Lou also worked at Northern Engraving in Lansing, IA.

She was a member of St. Ann's-St. Joseph's Catholic Church where she was a Eucharistic Minister and was active in the Rosary Society. Mary Lou was also a member of Harpers Ferry American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed volunteering and playing bingo at Thornton Manor in Lansing, working in her vegetable and flower gardens, and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include her children: Patrick (Mary Kate) of Harpers Ferry, Kathy (Larry) Pedretti of Genoa, WI, Ron (Brigid) of Harpers Ferry; eight grandchildren: Regan (Jason) Dahlstrom, Jodi Pedretti, Kari (Shawn Olday) Pedretti, Vicki (Chad) Lomen, Cyndi (Doug) Dobitz, Becki (John) Barnes, Staci (Matt) Harrison, and Bob Cota; 17 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; two brothers: Bernard Welsh and Lloyd (Betty) Welsh; eight sisters-in-law: Sarah Welsh, Leona Welsh, Essie Welsh, Maralyn Welsh, Sister Lou Cota, Sister Kay Cota, Shirley Scholle, and Gina Jones; three brothers-in-law: Rich (June) Cota, Bob Heffern, and Bob Gonsalves, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband Robert who died in 2015; a grandson Quentin Stowers; four sisters: Kay (Earl) Moore, Alice (Cliff) Armstrong,  Bernadine Heffern, and Ida Gonsalves; four brothers: Bob, Bill, Daniel, and Jerry Welsh; two infant brothers: Edward and Joseph Welsh, and an infant sister Darlene Welsh; four sisters-in-law: Carolyn Welsh, Jeanne Welsh, Rose (Leo) Foley, and Myrt Cota; two brothers-in-law: Leon (Ruth) Cota, and Jerry (Marion) Cota.

Honorary casketbearers are Harpers Ferry American Legion Auxiliary, and her godchildren: Marilyn Adam, Jean Bisel, Jake Cota, Sarah Grover, Don Moore, and Dacia Sommer. Casketbearers are Jodi Pedretti, Kari Pedretti, Vicki Lomen, Becki Barnes, Cyndi Dobitz, Staci Harrison, Regan Dahlstrom, and Brittany Miller.