Mary Lou Livingston

Mary Lou Livingston, 90, of Fontanelle passed away Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, at Greenfield Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Greenfield.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, at United Methodist Church in Fontanelle, with burial to follow in Winterset Cemetery in Winterset. A luncheon will be held at the church following the burial. Pastor Melodee Carstens will officiate. Steen Funeral Home in Fontanelle is in charge of professional arrangements. Online condolences may beleft to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

The family will greet friends from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at Steen Funeral Home in Fontanelle.

Memorials may be directed to the Mary Lou Livingston memorial fund to be established by the family at a later date.

Mary Lou Green Livingston was born June 19, 1931, on a farm near Zion, Iowa to Nellie May Green. Mary Lou spent most of her life living with her grandparents Harry and Eva Mooney Green.

Her mother’s sister, Mildred, and her husband Elmo Bonus helped in Mary Lou’s growing up years and were very special to her. Mary Lou lived in Orient, not far from the school where she graduated in 1948. Music was one of Mary Lou’s favorite subjects in school and she enjoyed it her entire life. She attended Orient Methodist Church where she sang her first solo, “Have Thine Own Way Lord,” her favorite song.

While in high school, Mary Lou helped clean house for a couple who lived on a farm near Zion. She sang at the little country school one year to help the teacher with her Christmas program, where she met her future husband, Rex. After graduation, she worked in the office of the Thomas D. Murphy company in Red Oak.

Mary Lou and Rex were married Jan. 1, 1950, at Orient Methodist Church. To this union, six children were born. They lived and worked on different farms in Adair and Union counties, except for the short time they lived in North Carolina, while Rex was in the service.

Mary Lou was quite the seamstress, making many of her family’s clothes and taught both of her daughters to sew. She made each of her adult children and 10 grandchildren a quilt she had embroidered and quilted by hand.

Rex and Mary Lou moved to Fontanelle Dec. 11, 1999. They enjoyed living in the small town, often watching people pass by as they sat on their deck. They moved into the Greenfield Manor April 1, 2017, and shared a room there until Rex passed away in 2019.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her mother, Nellie Cutshall; husband, Rex; brothers-in-law: Jack Livingston, Gene Livingston, Hugh Livingston and Charles Jackson; sisters-in-law: Lila Jackson, Carolyn Livingston and Shirley Livingston; daughter, Mary Jean Livingston; son, Calvin Livingston; daughter-in-law, Jayne Livingston; son-in-law, Mark Christians and great-granddaughter, Odessa Faith Livingston.

She is survived by sons: Mike Livingston of Orient, Rob Livingston and wife Paula of Fontanelle; daughters, Cindy Moss and husband Kevin of Fontanelle, Beth Christians of Flower Mound, Texas; 10 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandson; sister-in-law, Katherine Livingston; other relatives, and friends.