COTTON, Lois

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 08/19/2005 Lois Cotton, 88, died Saturday, July 16, 2005 in Omaha, Nebraska. She was born near Clifton Jan. 28, 1917, the daughter of Donald E. and Mabel A. Pearson Graham. She attended rural school at Troy; Davenport, Iowa, and Sabetha, where she graduated in 1934. Lois studied music, piano and organ in Daytona Beach, Florida and at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She was organist at the Sabetha Methodist Church for a few years and later at the Louisburg Methodist Church. She was a member at Unity Village in Lee Summit, Mo. On Feb. 15, 1941, she married Paul L. Cotton at Girard until he passed May 18, 1988 in Mesa. By correspondence, Lois completed a course in accounting and tax accounting and received a certificate from the International Accountant Society. She was self-employed in Louisburg for 35 years. In 1985, she and Paul retired to Arizona. Lois was a resident of Show Low from May to October for 20 years. In Nov. 2004, she moved to the Omaha, Nebraska area to be near her daughter. Her sister, Maxine Yost, along with her husband Paul L. Cotton preceded her in death. She is survived by her brother Donald Graham of Ana Cortes, Wash.; brother-in-law Mike Yost of Longmont, Colo.; son Walter Cotton of Denver, Colo.; daughter and husband Deanna and Jim Marshall of Bennington, Neb.; four grandsons, Jed and Angie Marshall, Leonard and Melanie Marshall, Robert and Jen Cotton, and Andrew Cotton; granddaughter Jackie Cotton; five great-grandchildren, three Pearson cousins, two Graham cousins, nieces and nephews. Burial was at Brantford Covenant Church Cemetery, which is next to her great-grandfather's homestead in Washington County. Memorial donations may be made to Brantford Covenant Church at Clifton or Hospice House, 7415 Cedar St. in Omaha, Neb., 68124.