Mary Lou West

CREIGHTON — Because of current health issues, private family services for Mary Lou West, age 92, of Creighton will be held Friday, April 3, 2020. Livestreaming will begin at 11 a.m. on the Faith United Church-Creighton, NE Facebook page.

Mary Lou has donated her body for scientific research.

Brockhaus Funeral Home in Creighton is in charge of arrangements.

Mary Lou died Saturday, March 28, 2020, at Avera Creighton Care Centre.

Please visit www.brockhausfuneralhome.com to leave condolences for the family on Mary Lou’s guestbook.

Mary Lou West was born June 30, 1927, in Spencer, NE, to Gustave and Mary Wedige Perlenfein. Her dad told her that he named her for the song that was popular at that time, called "Mary Lou...I Love You." When she was young, the family moved to Bonesteel, SD, where her dad and uncle owned a Chevrolet dealership. Thus, the family always drove Chevrolets. Mary Lou attended all her school years in Bonesteel, graduating from Bonesteel High School. Mary Lou always talked about the fun senior trip they had to the Spencer Dam which was brand new at that time. Mary Lou worked at the telephone office in Bonesteel. The young lumberyard manager in Bonesteel, Loyd Lewis West, came in to pay his phone bill and the "sparks flew." They were later married and moved to Ewing, where Loyd ran the lumberyard. Mary Lou worked part time at the store with him. They had two daughters, Sharon and Luella. In 1959, they moved to Creighton to manage the lumberyard there. Creighton was in the process of building a brand, new swimming pool and the girls thought that was the best move ever! The family lived two houses from Loyd's parents and Mary Lou adored her in-laws, Loyd and Theo West, especially her mother-in-law. Both of them were homemakers. Mary Lou did not have a driver's license at the time because, growing up in South Dakota, one didn't need a license to drive a car. It was Theo who taught Mary Lou to drive and took her to the courthouse for the examination. Later, Loyd and Mary Lou built a new home and then lived one block from Grandma and Grandpa West. If the lumberyard built a home for resale, it was often Mary Lou who painted the interior of the home. She loved to paint and if she wasn't painting a house for the lumberyard, she would be painting or wallpapering at home. She also loved to grow flowers and give bouquets away. Loyd and Mary Lou joined the United Church of Christ when they moved to Creighton and were members the rest of their lives. Later on, after Sharon got ill and moved in with Mary Lou, she also embraced the Catholic faith. Mary Lou enjoyed being a member of an Extension club and served as president. She was a member of the Lundberg Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, serving as vice president. She was also a member of the UCC Ladies' Fellowship. Mary Lou was the school FHA mom. She helped with the Rainbow Girls and was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. She and Loyd were volunteer weather observers for NOAA and also called in the daily weather to a Sioux City TV station. As an empty nester, one of her favorite activities was watching Loyd drive his miniature Model 'T' car with his Shrine parade group. She enjoyed hosting the Shriners and their ladies to a luncheon at their home when they participated in the Creighton parades. For a short time, Loyd and Mary Lou were volunteer drivers for Shriners Hospitals. They drove kids and their parents up to the Shriner's Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mary Lou enjoyed spending time up at their little cabin by the lake, mostly preparing food for the kids and grandkids and also boating and picnics on the little coves of Lewis and Clark Lake. Mary Lou and her mother-in-law regularly attended ceramic classes together at Florence Tepner's in Creighton. She loved to make things and give them away, especially holiday decor. When Loyd and Mary Lou were older, they enjoyed spending time in South Texas, especially getting together with the other "Winter Texans" from northeast Nebraska. They walked on the beach nearly every day and enjoyed the fresh oranges and grapefruit grown down there. Mary Lou had to have been one of Creighton's biggest supporters. She firmly believed in buying EVERYTHING in town to support the local businesses. Loyd and Mary Lou were great Husker fans; they attended games every year for several years. They watched the Huskers play in the Hula Bowl in Hawaii as well as the Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX. They also went to Colorado each time the Huskers played there, as that is where Sharon and Jerry lived for many years. Loyd and Mary Lou hosted an exchange student, Ana Romero, and remained in contact with her all their lives. Like most grandparents, Mary Lou loved babysitting and attending the grandkids' and great-grandkids' school and Sunday School events. Mary Lou was known for making delicious pies, especially cherry mulberry. She had a cherry tree and Theo had a mulberry tree. Mary Lou volunteered at Bloodmobiles and donated blood every time she could. After 49 years of marriage, Loyd died of a heart attack. Mary Lou was never the same. She resided the past five years at the Avera Creighton Care Centre.

Mary Lou is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Luella and Kelly Hodson of Osmond; five grandchildren, Stephanie (Kenny) Scholl of Omaha, Jeremy Closter of Omaha, Richard (Jennifer) Hodson of Plainview, Mariah (Adam) Bloomquist of Norfolk and Amanda (Troy) Smith of Waverly, NE; 11 great-grandchildren, MacKenzie, Mitchell and Brock Scholl of Omaha, Addison, Kinley, Paige and Kally Hodson of Plainview, Kyler and Ella Bloomquist of Norfolk and Clayton and Easton Smith of Waverly; one sister, Leone Thoene of Sioux Falls, SD; brother-in-law, Vern Elverson of Woodbury, MN, and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Loyd Lewis West; daughter, Sharon Kay Closter; son-in-law, Jerry Closter; parents, Gustave and Mary Perlenfein; in-laws, Loyd and Theo West; sisters-in-law, Mary Lavonne Fudge, Barbara West and Ruth Elverson, and brothers-in-law, Duane Fudge and Logan Thoene.

Memorials may be directed to Avera Creighton Care Centre, Faith United Church, St. Ludger Catholic Church and Shriners Children’s Hospital.