Mary Lou Moeller

Mary Lou Moeller was born to Edwin and Tabitha Hanson in 1935 in St. Paul, MN. She graduated with an education degree from Macalester College in 1957 and moved to Racine to begin teaching at Jerstad Agerholm School, where she taught for 20 years. She met Arne Moeller at a local dance for new teachers in Racine, and they were married in Stockholm WI in 1961, a marriage which lasted nearly 50 years until Arne’s death in 2011. In 1977, Mary Lou began to teach at the Prairie School where she taught 5th and 6th grades until she retired in 1994. She is remembered for the 13 annual plays that she wrote and produced with her students—her favorite being “Harry Poppins”, her dry sense of humor, and her creativity and inspiration within and outside the classroom. In retirement, she volunteered at the Prairie School reading to young students under the name Auntie LuLu, learned ventriloquism and performed occasionally with her puppet Doogie Dog, and in 2010, authored and published a children’s book entitled Pearl’s Wisdom about her favorite holiday, Halloween. She was proud to be a member of the Taco Belles, Second Presbyterian Church, and Chapter AZ, PEO. Her other interests included opera, theatre, golf, and “men watching”. More recently, she created the Auntie LuLu Scholarship at the Prairie School to reward students demonstrating an interest in creative writing. She is survived by nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends, and, very importantly, by her kind, caring and conscientious caregiver, Jenny, who enabled Mary Lou to remain in her home and travel annually to her home in Florida. In lieu of a memorial service at this time, please read a book to a child in memory of Mary Lou. Memorials suggested to the Prairie School Auntie LuLu Scholarship Fund, the Prairie School Early Childhood Center Capital Campaign, or the Salvation Army.