Lulu Marie Coons, a longtime resident of Worland died on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at her home in Worland. She was 93.

Lu was born on Oct. 17, 1914 at Birch Tree, Mo., a daughter of Charles Henry and Mamie Mae (Mann) Elliott. She moved with her family to Colorado and attended schools there. She moved to Utah as a young woman and married Roy Taylor in 1933 in Salt Lake City. They later separated and divorced.

She married Clarence Coons on Oct. 26, 1938 in Salt Lake City. He was in the Army, so the family then followed him to Texas and Wisconsin. She worked in an ammunition factory in La Crosse, Wis. at the start of WWII. He was sent to Europe, and Lu and her children then moved to Worland in July, 1944. After his discharge he returned to Worland where the family made their permanent home.

Lu worked for Holly Sugar Company from 1944 until 1953. She was a great cook, and then put those skills to work in local restaurants including the Lariat Café, Scotties Café, Washakie Grill, and for the Worland Café where she worked for 14 years until retiring in 1978. She was especially good at baked goods. Lu said, "I've worked hard all my life, but have enjoyed it. My doctor told me if you're going to die, die happy." She did.

Her hobbies included sewing, embroidery, playing cards, and spending time with her family and friends. She was a wonderful seamstress who made wedding dresses for her daughters and granddaughters, and a quilt for each of her grandchildren, great grandchildren and neighbors. She made dolls for all of her great grandchildren. She also liked to camp and fish.

Lu was also handy with home repairs and had made her own kitchen cabinets and a dinette cabinet, and was not afraid to tackle taking down a wall by herself.

Her son Bob made a point of checking on his mom by having coffee with her every day, and then running errands for her.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Clarence Coons who died in 1980; her daughters Lula May Anderson and Helen Jean Miller; her brothers William, Amos, Charles, Henry, Jake and George Elliott; her sisters Eva Bower, Bertha Newton, Lily Ritz and Sara Jahrig; and a granddaughter DeAnna Anderson.

Lu is survived by her son Robert (Dorothy) Taylor of Worland and her daughter Patti (Jerry) Nordstrom of Billings, Mont.; and by nine grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brothers Robert (Jeanette) Elliott of Denver, John (Barbara) Elliott of Casper, and Walt (Iris) Elliott of Wright.

Burial will follow at Riverview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Worland.