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Photo of Mary Lou Boothroyd

Mary Lou Boothroyd

3/15/1947 - 2/15/2021


Obituary


Mary Lou Boothroyd, 73, of Britt, passed away Monday, February 15, 2021 at Westview Care Center in Britt.

Services for Mary Lou Boothroyd will be held at a later date.

Mary Lou was born to Albert and Viola (Morphew) Moen on March 15, 1947 in Osage, Iowa.  The family lived in St. Ansgar and Mason City before settling in Clear Lake where Mary Lou graduated from high school in 1965.

Mary Lou, known cheekily as “Lou” to her friends and family, met her husband-to-be, Edwin Boothroyd, at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa in 1965. They were married on May 3, 1965 and had three sons: Todd, Anthony, and Tobias.

A lifelong-Iowa resident, Mary Lou was employed by Winnebago Industries and worked in Warranty and Quality Control for 27 years.  She later worked at Westview Care Center, spending six years in the Human Resources Department and one year as Interim Administrator. In her final days, she appreciated being taken care of by the same nurses and staff she had proudly hired and worked alongside years before.

Mary Lou loved to read, knit, and cook for her family. She read every Stephen King novel she could, and for holidays she gifted hand-knit hats and scarves to her family and friends, taking special care to choose yarns in the recipient’s favorite colors. She always brought games to play with the grandchildren and enjoyed teaching them new things. Her famous lasagna, macaroni salad and potato salad were family gathering staples; she made huge batches to feed her grandchildren and extended family.

Ed and Mary Lou spent most of their spare time on motorcycles. Throughout the years, they enjoyed the roar of Sturgis as well as the quiet campsites of national parks. Mary Lou loved to reminisce about her visit to Glacier National Park where she, Ed, and her brother Barry rode motorcycles through the mountains on the Going-to-the-Sun road.

Mary Lou’s brand of tough was legendary. Her Harley Davidson gear, cropped blonde hair, and rings on every finger made her look the part, but her tenacity and steely resolve truly set her apart. Mary Lou battled cancer multiple times, defeating the disease despite bleak outlooks. She always amazed doctors and family with her ability to overcome.

Mary Lou is survived by her husband Ed of Britt; her sons and their families: Todd and Kara Boothroyd of Clive and children Mitch, Katie and Rachel, Anthony and Kelly Boothroyd of Boone and children Tiana, Ty, Travis, Trevor, Troy and Taylor, Tobias and Bonnie Boothroyd of Britt and children Delaney, Evan and Emily; her sister Irene Kristofferson of Gulf Shores, Alabama; her brothers Barry Moen of Story, Wyoming and Brian Moen of Phoenix, Arizona along with numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Albert and Viola Moen, brother Larry Moen and sister Susanne Moen.