Don and Mary Lou Hattery
Don Hattery, 96, and Mary Lou (Orr) Hattery, 94, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully side-by-side on March 18, 2026, in Cedar Rapids, after a brief hospice period. A celebration of lives will be held on Saturday, May 9, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the Cedar Rapids Country Club. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to the McGregor Public Library Foundation, P.O. Box 398, McGregor IA 52157.
Don was born on March 11, 1930, in Mingo, the son of Mabell Hiatt Hattery and Lowell Hattery. As a graduate of Red Oak High School, he attended Iowa State College and received a degree in civil engineering in 1952.
Mary Lou was born on March 15, 1932, in Indianola, the daughter of Dorothy Newkirk Orr and Myron Singer Orr. As a graduate of Indianola High School, she attended Iowa State College and majored in home economics and art.
Don and Mary Lou settled down in Cedar Rapids in 1956 where Don cofounded Shive Hattery Engineering. Don retired from Shive Hattery in 1995 and in the following years pursued many interests. He was on the board of directors of the National Rivers Hall of Fame in Dubuque and participated in organizing the Grand Excursion of 2004. It was also his great joy and honor to preside over Sny Magill University, ever true to its ideals of “Training Leadership for Yesterday.”
Mary Lou had a great interest in the arts. She promoted local artists as the owner of the Stone Balloon and cofounder of what later became The Left Bank, both in McGregor. She was also an accomplished weaver: her woven tea towels, multicolor napkins, afghans and scarves were gifts to family and friends and are still highly prized.
Married for 73 years, Don and Mary Lou were a constant loving presence for their four children and their spouses and eight grandchildren. Their 10 great-grandchildren will probably remember Don best as Captain Madness, a role that delighted him.
McGregor and the Mississippi River were a big part of life for Don, Mary Lou and their family. They began houseboating in 1965 and for many years, summer weekends were spent camping on a sandbar with good friends. They purchased and restored a section of the historic Masonic Block on Main Street that became the Stone Balloon art consignment shop. When Schade’s marina in South McGregor became available in 1979, they purchased it together with Jack and Skippy Bell. The duplex they built there soon became too small, and they designed and built the Riverhouse, the southernmost home in McGregor.
Don and Mary Lou did a lot of fun things in McGregor. Don’s calliope accompanied the Lawn Chair Drill Team in many McGregor Memorial Day parades. Mary Lou earned her Hot Air Balloon Pilot’s License and in addition to frequently piloting her own hot air balloon over McGregor, she also organized the only McGregor Hot Air Balloon Festival. Sny Magill University hosted many events over the years: Full Moon Howls, the 2000 New Years’ Day parade and the Canine Beauty Contest which will never be forgotten. The chicken won!
Mary Lou and Don leave behind a beautiful love story and lasting example for their children and grandchildren. And it ended as they had always hoped—together and at peace. Don and Mary Lou will be interred in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in McGregor later this summer. At their gravesite there is a bench and they invite you to visit them there.
