Mary Lou Zollman

Mary Lou Zollman, age 96 formerly of Perry, Iowa passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at home in Tucson, Arizona. Memorials will be held in Tucson and Perry. A funeral service will be held at Bring’s Broadway Chapel in Tucson on September 12 at 1PM, and an open house remembrance will be held in Perry on October 24 at Hotel Pattee from 2PM to 4PM. Gifts in honor of Mary Lou can be given to Perry Public Library of Perry, Iowa.

Mary Lou Zollman was born on August 16, 1930, in Creston, Iowa to Lawrence and Lorene (Denhart) Nielsen. She graduated from Creston High School. She was united in marriage to William “Bill” Zollman in Creston, Iowa on January 20, 1954 and they continued to live in Creston for a few years. They moved to a home outside Clearfield where Bill worked on the family farm. In the early 1960s they moved to Perry, Iowa where they made home for the remainder of their lives together. Mary Lou worked as a sales associate at Conklin Jewelers and then for many years as the payroll clerk at Progressive Foundry. Bill and Mary Lou made several lifelong dear friends in Perry that were very close for 65+ years: the Pohls, Fallers, Honomichls, Andersons, and Scheibs to name just a few. They were more than best friends – they were extended family. When Mary Lou moved to 3rd Street in Perry Senior Housing, she enjoyed friendship, coffees, and get-togethers with her neighbors. Mary Lou snow birded between Perry and Mesa, Arizona for many years. In September 2025 she moved to Arizona to be near her family.

In death Mary Lou rejoins her husband Bill Zollman, and parents Lawrence and Lorene Nielsen. Left to cherish Mary Lou’s memory are her two daughters: Deanna Helland and her husband Steve of Gilbert, Arizona, and Eileen Watson and her husband Don of Tucson, Arizona; grandchildren Stephanie (Alec) Cade of Scottsdale, Arizona, Amanda (Jonathan) Willms of Chandler, Arizona, Lori Watson of Phoenix, Arizona, and Ross (Jessica) Watson of San Diego, California; great-grandchildren Maddy, Max, Ethan, Evie, and Keeley Willms, and Charlie Watson; cousin Phyllis Ferguson of Humboldt, Iowa and her family; nieces Lynette (Stan) Amrine of Dallas Center, Iowa and their family, Mary Kay (David) Loutzenhiser of Blockton, Iowa and their family, Maureen Carpenter of Eloy, Arizona and her family, and Linda Heiden of Punta Gorda, Florida and her family; and many other dear relatives and friends.