Mary Louise (Tannus) Paulsen (1922-2014)

PAULSEN, TANNUS, SWANSON, PARNABY, TAHENY

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 3/1/2014 at 09:55:26

Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.

Mary Louise Paulsen was born December 4, 1922 to Shukri and Mabel (Swanson) Tannus in Lomax, Illinois. After her father's death in 1932, the family moved to Des Moines. She attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois and then earned a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Minnesota. Mary Lou was the first social worker hired at Beloit of Ames in 1948, retiring in 1986. She met her future husband at Beloit, and they were married on May 4, 1952. She spent her entire career at Beloit, except for taking time off when her children where young, retiring in 1986. Mary Lou initiated and nurtured Beloit's Outpatient Treatment Program which was an important service to the entire Ames community for several decades. She co-authored the book, "Mastery: Making Groups Work with Children" with Kenneth F. Dunker and Joan Young.

Mary Lou was a world traveler and lived in Oberammergau and Nuremburg, Germany, Tehran, Iran, Uppsala, Sweden, Manila, Philippines and Washington D.C. She was a lifelong volunteer, overseas and at home, which included at her church as a therapist after her retirement, many Democratic campaigns, at the Worldly Goods store in downtown Ames, and for the Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance Program. Mary Lou was awarded the "Women of Achievement Volunteer Honoree" in 2006, the "Iowa Governor's Volunteer Award" in 2010 and the Good Neighbors "Volunteer of the Year Award" in 2012. Over the years, Mary Lou touched the lives of literally thousands of Ames residents, making many close and lasting friendships.

Mary Lou passed away February 5, 2014, at Green Hills Retirement Community in Ames at 91 years of age.

Mary Lou is survived by her five children, Chris Paulsen, of Ames, Larry Paulsen, of Seattle, Washington, Rick Paulsen, of Seattle, Lisa Paulsen of Atlanta, Georgia and Karin Paulsen of Seattle; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and her sister, Helen Tannus Parnaby, of Cary, Illinois.

She was preceded in death by her parents; in 2011, her husband of 59 years, Arnold; and her sister, Eleanor Tannus Brownawell Taheny.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance, 3206 S. Duff Ave. Ames, IA 50010 or online at www.gnea.org

FEB 10 Memorial Service 11:00AM
Bethesda Lutheran Church
1517 Northwestern Ave.
Ames, IA, US, 50010

http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/
 

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