Mrs. Mary Lou Sager Bratton

June 16, 1933 – February 27, 2011

Mary Lou (Sager) Bratton, Grand Junction, Colorado, passed away at home Sunday, February 27, 2011 following long a battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Mary Lou was one of five children born to Henry Bascom Sager and Margaret (MacInnes) Sager She was born in Jefferson Island, Madison County, Montana on June 16, 1933. Mary Lou spent her life in Grand Junction graduating from Grand Junction High School in 1951. She married James Neil Bratton in Grand Junction, Colorado on November 27, 1952.

Mary Lou worked with her husband Neil at Bratton Window Corporation for twenty-one years until the business was sold in 1994. Following the sale of Bratton Window Mary Lou and her husband, Neil, spent seven years spending the winters at their Henderson, Nevada home as “Snow Birds” enjoying the Las Vegas area and weather. In 2001 Mary Lou and Neil returned to Grand Junction full time to spend time with family and friends.

Art was an important part of Mary Lou’s life and she took great joy in the time she spent painting. Many of the photographs taken of the places she and her husband Neil traveled to before and after their retirement provided the inspiration for many of her paintings. Her paintings can be found in the homes of Grand Valley residents, friends, and family.

Mary Lou was a member of several professional organizations during her life time including the Altrusa Club, Credit Women International Crediteers, Women’s International Bowling Congress, Women in Construction, and the Fraternal Order of the Moose.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her husband Neil in 2009. She is survived by daughters Polly (Tom) Parrish of Grand Junction, CO; Debra (Don) Lewis of Aurora, CO and Shari (Mike) Milholland of Grand Junction, CO. Her grandchildren include Amanda Kohlhoff, Justin Wittwer, Isaac Brown, Taunya (Brown) Taylor, Christian Parrish, Courtney (Parrish) Williams, and Granuaile Parrish, and nine great grandchildren. Mary Lou is also survived by brothers Don Sager of Lakewood, CO; Dick Sager of Vicksburg, MS; Bob Sager of Wilsall, MT, Bill Sager of Missoula, MT and sisters Ruth Sager of Aurora, CO; and Jean Lovell of Farmington, NM.

Services will be held at Martin Mortuary Thursday at 10:00 AM. Burial will take place at a later time.

The family would prefer any memorial contributions be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, P. O. Box 60307, Grand Junction, CO 81506.