Mary Lou (Harrington) Brannon, 95, of Dubuque, died Thursday Apr. 2, 2026 at Bethany Home in Dubuque. She was the loving and proud wife of Vincent P. Brannon and loving mother of their 5 children.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12:30 Saturday, Apr. 11, 2026 at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Dubuque. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.  Friends may call from 4 to 7pm Friday Apr. 10 at Egelhof Siegert & Casper Funeral Home, 2659 JFK Rd., Dubuque. In the spirit of her love of the color pink, feel free to wear pink in her honor. A live stream of the funeral mass can be viewed at www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com.

Mary Lou was born on June 18, 1930, near Winthrop, Iowa, the daughter of Raymond P. and Lillian D. (Nelson) Harrington. She was the middle daughter of 7 children- one brother and 5 sisters. She graduated from Independence High School in 1947. She worked at the Mental Health Institute (MHI) in Independence in her early years.

In 1949, she met Vince at a dance at the Coca Cola Bottling Co. in Waterloo. They married on June 18, 1951 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Independence.

While raising their children, Mary Lou and Vince owned and operated Chatham Food Market in Independence for 11 years.  In 1961, they moved to Dubuque, where they owned and operated Brannon Monument Co. until 1993.  Even in retirement, they remained involved in the family business for many years.

Mary Lou and Vince were long-time members of St. Joseph the Worker parish since 1970.  They were members of Monument Builders of North America, and Monument Builders of Iowa, where they met numerous peers and cherished friends.  Mary Lou was the first female Certified Memorialist (CM) in the nation.  In 1983, she published her poem, This is a Cemetery, which won an industry award, and is still well-known today.  She was a long-time member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority chapters in Independence and Dubuque. She was an active mom in her kids’ school activities and extracurriculars.  Vince and Mary Lou loved to travel, including Ireland and wintering in Panama City Beach, and loved to dine out all around the Tri-States.

Surviving Mary Lou are her five children: Patrick V. Brannon, of the Historic Pullman District in Chicago, IL; Daniel J. Brannon of Austin TX, and his daughter, Hannah; Colleen M. Brannon of Dubuque, and her daughter, Caitlin; Andrew D. (Debbie) Brannon, of LaCrosse, WI, and their 4 children, Elizabeth, Matthew, Maria and Patrick; and Michael P. (Stasia) Brannon of Dubuque, and their 2 children, Emily (Michael Nauman) and Josie.  In addition to the 8 grandchildren, she had 2 great grandchildren, Drake Brannon and Margot Lou Nauman. Also surviving are 2 sisters: Josephine Johnson of Des Moines, IA, and Ann O’Loughlin of Independence, IA.  She also had numerous beloved nieces, nephews and their children.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Vince on Oct. 23, 2004; her parents; 4 siblings; Raymond (Madeline) Harrington; Helen (Faye) Tate; Marge (Louis) Kaiser; and Alice (Wendell) Circus and two brothers in law, Walter Johnson and George O’Loughlin.

A sincere thank you to Bethany Home and Hospice of Dubuque for their loving care of Mary Lou. Memorials may be given to Bethany Home of Dubuque and St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church.