The Life of NORALEE LOTT
Nora Lee Wilkinson Lott, 87, of Des Moines and formerly of Grinnell, died May 20, 2016, at the Kavanagh House in Des Moines.
Funeral services were held 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Des Moines with the Rev.''s Brenda Goodall, Russ Wilson and Dr. Wayne Clark officiating.
Pallbearers were her grandsons, Joshua Johnson, Jeremy Long, and Alex, Julian, Connor and Wyatt Lott. Ushers were her granddaughters, Franchesca Cook, Stacey Long, Rebekah Neuendorf, and Dani, Bailey and Jordyn Lott (honorary). Burial was in Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery in Des Moines.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Nora Lee Lott Memory Fund.
Nora Lee was born on April 20, 1929, in Keokuk, Iowa, the first child of Joseph and Kathleen Price Wilkinson. She was a 1948 graduate of Woodside High School in Des Moines. She played basketball there and was featured on the sports page of the Des Moines Register as Polk County "Outstanding Guard." She sang in the octet which sang twice on The Jean Hersholt show on KRNT radio. She also saing in a mixed quartette and in the state music contest, where she was told "you have perfect pitch."
On June 19, 1949, she was united in marriage with Raymond Lott, her high school sweetheart. She studied with Mrs. Yamamoto, who was the chief floral designer for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. She began her floral design career at Shenandoah Floral, she then moved to Flowers by Joyce in Perry. She later worked at Rainbow Floral in Waterloo and finished her career at Bates Flower Shop in Grinnell, retiring in 1992.
While living in Grinnell, she and Raymond started The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast. It was Grinnell''s first and Nora Lee gained a reputation of having "the best cinnamon rolls in town." She entertained many parents and guest professors for Grinnell College, who came from all over the United States and many foreign countries.
She leaves to mourn her passing, her husband, Raymond; one sister, Kathleen; two daughters, Renee (Loyd) Johnson and Anita (Craig) Long; three sons, David, Mark and Thomas; 12 grandchildren, Franchesca, Joshua, Rebekah, Jeremy, Stacey, Connor, Wyatt, Alex, Danielle, Bailey, Julian and Jordyn; 20 great-grandchildren, Megan, Allison, Gracelyn, Lily, Kiera, Faith, Delaney, Brynlee, Axel, Hadley, Isaac, William, Arthur, Cain, Taylor, Kassidy, Alissa, Noah, Owen and April; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Gladstone Joseph Wilkinson.
Funeral services were held 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Des Moines with the Rev.''s Brenda Goodall, Russ Wilson and Dr. Wayne Clark officiating.
Pallbearers were her grandsons, Joshua Johnson, Jeremy Long, and Alex, Julian, Connor and Wyatt Lott. Ushers were her granddaughters, Franchesca Cook, Stacey Long, Rebekah Neuendorf, and Dani, Bailey and Jordyn Lott (honorary). Burial was in Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery in Des Moines.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Nora Lee Lott Memory Fund.
Nora Lee was born on April 20, 1929, in Keokuk, Iowa, the first child of Joseph and Kathleen Price Wilkinson. She was a 1948 graduate of Woodside High School in Des Moines. She played basketball there and was featured on the sports page of the Des Moines Register as Polk County "Outstanding Guard." She sang in the octet which sang twice on The Jean Hersholt show on KRNT radio. She also saing in a mixed quartette and in the state music contest, where she was told "you have perfect pitch."
On June 19, 1949, she was united in marriage with Raymond Lott, her high school sweetheart. She studied with Mrs. Yamamoto, who was the chief floral designer for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. She began her floral design career at Shenandoah Floral, she then moved to Flowers by Joyce in Perry. She later worked at Rainbow Floral in Waterloo and finished her career at Bates Flower Shop in Grinnell, retiring in 1992.
While living in Grinnell, she and Raymond started The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast. It was Grinnell''s first and Nora Lee gained a reputation of having "the best cinnamon rolls in town." She entertained many parents and guest professors for Grinnell College, who came from all over the United States and many foreign countries.
She leaves to mourn her passing, her husband, Raymond; one sister, Kathleen; two daughters, Renee (Loyd) Johnson and Anita (Craig) Long; three sons, David, Mark and Thomas; 12 grandchildren, Franchesca, Joshua, Rebekah, Jeremy, Stacey, Connor, Wyatt, Alex, Danielle, Bailey, Julian and Jordyn; 20 great-grandchildren, Megan, Allison, Gracelyn, Lily, Kiera, Faith, Delaney, Brynlee, Axel, Hadley, Isaac, William, Arthur, Cain, Taylor, Kassidy, Alissa, Noah, Owen and April; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Gladstone Joseph Wilkinson.