Mary Lou Grandstaff, 83, of Waterloo, Iowa, formerly Manchester, died on Thursday, September 10, 2009, at Cedar Valley Hospice House in Waterloo. She was born on September 2, 1926, at Greeley, Iowa, the daughter of Lincoln “Pat” and Lulu (Bolsinger) Odell. Mary Lou was raised and educated in the area and graduated from Greeley High School in 1944.
Mary Lou was united in marriage to Roland Hines on July 13, 1947, in Manchester. Together they resided in Manchester, two daughters were born to this union. Mary Lou was a homemaker. Roland died March 22, 1954. Mary Lou then worked as a police radio dispatcher in Manchester. She was united in marriage to Claude Grandstaff on June 16, 1964, at Earlville. They owned and operated the Franklin Hotel in Strawberry Point and later moved to Anamosa and Cedar Rapids where Mary Lou was employed by Rockwell Collins. Claude died August 1, 1970. In 1990, Mary Lou moved to Waterloo to be close to her daughters.
Mary Lou enjoyed collecting hummingbirds and frogs, making jewelry out of beads, playing dominoes, scrabble, and cards. Her family was most important in her life.
Survivors include her two daughters, Catherine Hines and Judy Hines of Waterloo; one foster daughter, Gwen Roemig of Waterloo, a step-son, Ronald Grandstaff of Lawrence, Kansas; former daughter-in-law, Barbara Grandstaff of Lawrence, Kansas; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three sisters, Norma Sabin of Cedar Rapids, Florence Logan of Manchester, Nancy (Earl) Strickler of Greeley, sister-in-law, Deanna Odell of Indiana, and a brother in-law, Lawrence Kopecky of Monticello.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her two husbands, Roland Hines and Claude Grandstaff; her parents, Lincoln and Lulu Odell; her step-father, Ralph Robbins; two brothers, Clayton and Leonard Odell; and two sisters, Dorothy Atkinson and Ruth Kopecky.
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