LuAnne L. Pritchard

LuAnne L. Pritchard

Waterloo

LuAnne L. Pritchard, 90, passed away on January 3, 2025, at Friendship Village in Waterloo, Iowa. Visitation and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 11 at the Geneseo Methodist Church in rural Buckingham, with burial in the Geneseo Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the memorial service at 11 a.m., followed by lunch.

LuAnne was born on October 5, 1934, in Waterloo, the daughter of Tom and Gleneva (Philp) Otto. After living briefly in Orange, the family relocated to Hudson where LuAnne grew up across the street from the Hudson Consolidated School. She cherished her time growing up with close relatives and friends. LuAnne was active in school activities and graduated with the Hudson High School class of 1952. She went on to earn a degree in elementary education from State Teachers College of Iowa (now known at UNI) in 1955.

On December 30, 1956, LuAnne was united in marriage to Robert Pritchard in Cedar Falls. The newlyweds briefly lived in Waterloo and then made their home on the family farm near Buckingham for more than 60 years. Although raised as a town girl, LuAnne embraced the rural lifestyle and enjoyed the many friendships she made in Geneseo Township. She enjoyed an especially close relationship with her late sister-in-law Marian Pritchard, as they were neighbors in two houses on the same farm.

In 2007, the couple moved to Landmark Commons in Waterloo where they resided until relocating to Friendship Village in early December 2024.

LuAnne was a beloved schoolteacher who impacted countless students. She began her long career in education in 1955 by teaching first grade at Carey Elementary School in Waverly and then at Whittier Elementary School in Waterloo. In 1965, LuAnne began teaching remedial reading in a temporary trailer at Geneseo Consolidated School, which the next school year became part of the Dysart-Geneseo Community School District. In the early 1980s, she transitioned to teach upper elementary reading at the Dysart Elementary School in Dysart, where she retired in 1993.

LuAnne was raised in the Christian faith and was deeply involved in numerous aspects of church life, where she joyfully shared her talents in activities ranging from Bible School and women’s groups to serving on various committees. Notably, she served as a church organist for more than 60 years, first at her home church in Hudson (Evangelical United Brethren and later the United Methodist Church) and for the last 40 years at what is now the Geneseo Methodist Church. Throughout the decades, she shared her musical talent by playing the organ for hundreds of worship services, weddings and funerals.

As a consummate hostess who was dedicated to her family, LuAnne greatly enjoyed hosting parties and celebrations for family and friends. She especially enjoyed the many visits her grandchildren, Sam and Ben, made to the farm when they were children, and always had fun activities planned for them. LuAnne and Robert also shared a love for square dancing and spent 15 winters in sunny and warm Mesa, Arizona.

LuAnne is survived by her husband of 68 years, Robert; son Rod (Lisa); and grandson Sam (Katie), great-grandchildren Clare and John Thomas; and grandson Ben (Mckenzie) Pritchard, all of Cedar Rapids. She was preceded in death by her parents and an older brother, Donald, who died in a childhood accident before she was born.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, January 11, at 11:00 a.m., at Geneseo Methodist Church, 3127 115th St, Buckingham, Iowa, with visitation from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the Geneseo Methodist Church or Cedar Valley Hospice. The family would like to thank the nursing staff at the Wellspring unit of Friendship Village and Cedar Valley Hospice for their compassionate care of LuAnne during the last few weeks of her life.