Tribute

Our mother, Grandma, and Great Grandma, Mary Lou Rose Mattes, loved her family and friends. She felt strong in her beliefs and faith. She was an active member of the Catholic Church for many years, working with many fellow devoted Catholics. She was the cofounder of the Separated Divorced Remarried Catholics in the Lafayette, IN area, a team member of Beginning Experience for Divorced Catholics, and she facilitated Divorce Recovery workshops for the Lafayette Diocese as well as assisting in one-on-one divorce ministry. Outside of Church, Mary Lou had many passions. Some of these included baking, following college basketball, reading, and playing cards. She enjoyed sharing her baked goods with friends, family, and coworkers. She was always prepared with a treat for anyone who came to visit. We always knew there would be a sweet treat waiting for us. She worked at Purdue University for 30 years. This fostered her love for college basketball - especially the Purdue basketball team! You didn’t dare call her during a basketball game. She could be heard cheering down the street during game time. Filling out the NCAA brackets for March Madness every year was something she not only looked forward to but had proven success. More often than not she was victorious. Mary Lou was an avid reader. She always had a book or newspaper in hand whenever she had the time. She always kept up on world news and frequently enjoyed watching the game show Jeopardy. She eagerly awaited socializing with friends and family and was enthusiastic about a good game of cards as she was very difficult to beat. After each round of cards the room would be filled with laughter and chatter about the hand. Mary Lou also had many health challenges which she fought with fortitude. Those struggles led her to make the decision to donate in the hope that she might help make someone else’s life better in some way. She was 86 years old when she passed away - just one day after her birthday. Mary Lou was determined and a fighter until the very end. We will miss her every day!

Friends & Family

Tim, Jennifer, John, Amanda, Marissa, Chase, Bentley and Elianna