Mary Lou (Pitcher) Bratsch

PORTAGE  -- Mary Lou (Pitcher) Bratsch, age 67,  died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at her home in Portage, after a battle with cancer.

Mary Lou was born on September 6, 1942, in Minnesota Lake, MN, the daughter of Lester and Colette (Stencel) Pitcher.  She attended Mt. Carmel Catholic School in Easton, MN.  Mary Lou married Lloyd Bratsch, Jr., on December 28, 1959, in Easton, MN.  In 1983 Lloyd was transferred for work, and he and Mary Lou moved to Portage.  Mary Lou enjoyed waitressing for many years in St. Paul, MN, and for 16 years, in Portage, at the Hitching Post.  In 2008 she retired from waitressing to care for Lloyd until her own health began to fail.  Mary Lou especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and her hobbies included gambling, playing cards, bingo, and dice.  She also enjoyed camping and doing yard work. 

Mary Lou is survived by her husband, Lloyd, Portage; her mother, Colette Pitcher, Wells, MN; her sisters, Donna (Quentin) Stencel, Wells, MN, Cathleen Quam (special friend, Lonnie Erickson), Rake, Iowa, Diane (Mike) Henning, Bricelyn, MN, Barb Albers (special friend, Dennis Redman), Conger, MN; her brothers, Joseph (Hilde) Pitcher, Burlington, KY, James (Cheryl) Pitcher, Gerald (Trudy) Pitcher, and her brother-in-law, Donnie Giese, all of  Wells, MN; numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends.  Mary Lou was preceded in death by her father, Lester, her grandparents, an infant daughter at birth, Mary Kay, her sister, Lois Giese, her brothers, Donald Pitcher, and Daniel Pitcher, her sister-in-law, Avis Pitcher, her brother-in-law, Lyle Quam, and her nephews, Jamie Stenzel, and Blake Pitcher.

A Memorial Service will be held at 7:00 p.m., on Friday, March 12, 2010 at Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage, with Deacon Dennis Sutter officiating.  Visitation will be held on Friday, from 5:00 p.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.  Inurnment will be private.  

The family would like to thank Irv Briggs, and Jim Kaminski for all of their help, and Southern Care Hospice for their care of Mary Lou.

The family asks that flowers be omitted.

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