Marilou Ann (Patterson) Hoover, 95, passed away peacefully Saturday morning, January 20, 2024, at Homewood Health Campus in Lebanon, Indiana. She was born March 2, 1928, in Lebanon, a daughter of the late David Ray and Errie Edith (Gillaspie) Patterson. Her mother passed away when she was two weeks old from complication from childbirth. D. Ray remarried years later to Katie Linton Patterson.
At the age of eleven, when her dad was sheriff of Boone County, the family moved and was the first family to reside at the “new” jail on the square in Lebanon, Indiana. She spent days roller skating and visiting the library across the street, creating her love for reading.
Most of her education was in Lebanon schools finishing her Jr. and Sr. years at Zionsville High School, graduating with the class of 1946. This is where she met the love of her life, Paul Winfred Hoover. They were married at the courthouse in Lebanon on June 13, 1946, while he was home on leave from the service in the US Navy. Marilou and Paul were blessed with a daughter, Paula, in 1951 and a son, David in 1953.
Marilou worked 22 years for the American Legion Magazine as a stencil maker, proofreader, and later supervisor in the mailing label department. After retiring from the American Legion, her neighbor, Harold Conrad, Postmaster of the Zionsville Post Office suggested she begin working part-time for the post office. This grew to full-time, and she stayed for 20 years, working a second career with a great group of people before retiring again.
Over her lifetime, Marilou shared her beautiful voice at friends’ weddings, and many different choirs: Zionsville High School, Zionsville United Methodist Church, and the Boone County Community. She loved traveling with friend, Maxine Holt, to sing in the choir at Billy Graham Crusades as far away as Aberdeen, Maryland. She was also an actress in high school plays and later in community theatre as a member of the “Off Main Street Players” in Zionsville.
Marilou (Miss Pat) was not only in the choir at the Zionsville United Methodist Church, but she enjoyed several years of teaching the 3-year-old Sunday school class with friends, (Miss Jerry) Jerry Reynolds, and (Mr. Larry) Larry Findley. Later she was asked to serve as the adult sponsor for the youth group, UMYF. Her youth volunteer days resulted in the ZHS Sunshine Society girls voting her as their Ideal Woman of the Year 1970.
At age 18, Marilou was asked to pledge a service sorority, Alpha Gamma Chapter of Delta Sigma Kappa. This awesome group of ladies became her closest friends. They raised their children together while dreaming up and working fundraisers for many community causes and other organizations. They had fun at great parties at each other’s homes and traveling together to National Conventions. Many of them brought their daughters into the sorority allowing two generations to party while serving the community together. Marilou was a lifetime member for over 50 years, serving each of the offices of her local chapter as well as an inspector for the National Delta Sigma Kappa.
Neighbors and good friends, Jerry and Sharon Harris, introduced Marilou and Paul to the great fishing at Kentucky Lake. They fell in love with the lake life and spent 21 years in retirement at Hester’s Spot in the Sun and the Kentucky Lake Subdivision. Fishing, boating, and card playing created lots of great memories with immediate and extended family. While living at Kentucky Lake, Marilou and Paul kept a home in Boone County to see family, attend Starlight Musicals at Butler University, attend Colts games and, of course, enjoy years of cheering at the Boilermaker basketball and football games in their season ticket seats for Purdue University.
Marilou was preceded in death by her parents and stepmother; sisters, Jessie Mae (Patterson) Marsh, Laura Agnes (Patterson) Barrick, Opal Geraldine (Patterson, Lee) Harris and Pansey Mauvoreen Patterson; husband, Paul W. Hoover; son, David Alan Hoover; as well as many extended family members.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Hoover (Robert) Walker; grandchildren, Aaron Hoover, Amanda Walker (Keith) Schornhorst, Elizabeth Walker (Brad) Grant, Jessica Walker (Jason) Wood; thirteen great grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; as well as several nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Funeral Services are planned for 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Myers Mortuary, 1502 North Lebanon Street, in Lebanon, Indiana. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of services. Interment will follow at Lincoln Memory Gardens in Whitestown, Indiana.
Memorials may be directed in Marilou’s memory to Centenary United Methodist Church or the Boone County Senior Services.
