Mary Lou Doe

Born to Carl and Naomi Reffior on December 10, 1929 in their Lincoln County Nebraska farmhouse. Mary Lou Doe was the oldest of 4 girls. Her sisters are Betty Reffior, Delores Schneider and Opal Mullenkamp. Mary lived through the great depression on her family farm in Nebraska. She recalls snakes in the chicken coop as her least favorite part of living on a farm. Her childhood was a happy one attending a one room schoolhouse with her sisters. Mary later went away to work as a nurses aid in a hospital nursery in Grant Nebraska. Mary met her future husband Robert Doe when he was dating her roommate. She often joked that she stole him away. They were married on November 27, 1953 at First Baptist Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming. They had five children together, a deceased baby boy, Deborah Doe, Daniel Doe, Deanna Grimm and Dawn Colarusso.
Mary had a love of travel and always wanted to see new places. They would drive all over the United States with their children camping, even experiencing a tornado tent camping in Iowa, singing church hymns with their children the entire time. Mary enjoyed the cypress gardens in Florida, visiting Washington D.C., New York and the Worlds Fair to name a few. Mary had to visit every zoo she saw, no matter the weather.
Mary was an avid quilter, embroidering right up until her death. She tried instilling her love of sewing into her children and grandchildren. She was also a voracious reader and passed that love on to her family. Mary also loved gardening and was always growing something. Her children used to steal vegetables, rinsing them in the hose before munching away.
Mary was very involved in the Evangelical Free church. When her health declined, and she was no longer able to attend church in person she was happy to have church friends visit her at home.
Mary’s generous heart had her volunteering her entire life. Anything she could do to help missionaries or the church she was happy to do. She cut bandages and stamps for missionaries for years, sitting around her kitchen table with friends.
Mary was also extremely hospitable. There were constantly people invited over for dinner. She hosted family gatherings and rejoiced in all the little children playing.
Mary was a loving grandmother to her eight grandchildren. She took them to the zoo, Estes Park and on picnics on the Poudre as often as she could. She enjoyed having her grandchildren over where she tried to teach them to sew and filled them with ice cream. Mary had to keep scissors handy to cut the girls embroidery attempts from their clothes. She watched her grandchildren during the summer where they made a ritual of watching Matlock and Price is Right together each morning. Mary had 13 great grandchildren and she spoiled them all with ice cream as often as she could.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Naomi Reffior, her husband Robert Doe, her infant son, her sister Betty Reffior, her son in law William Colarusso and her grandon in law Justin Skrettingland.
Mary is survived by her children Deborah Doe, Daniel Doe, Deanna Grimm and Dawn Colarusso, 8 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren as well as her sisters Delores Schneider and Opal Mullenkamp.