Elaine M. Cotter

Elaine Cotter, age 95, of De Pere, entered eternal life on Saturday, October 24, 2020. Born on June 7, 1925 to the late Reinhart and Josephine (De Groot) Pfotenhauer. In 1943 she graduated high school from St. Joseph Academy. She married James W. Cotter, Sr. on September 3, 1949 at St. Philip Catholic Church, and together they shared 54 years of marriage before Jim died on December 12, 2003. Elaine worked many years at St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere while being a devoted mother to her children. In February of 1962, Elaine helped her husband Jim to start the Cotter Funeral Home in De Pere. Through nearly 60 years of caring for families, Elaine has touched the lives of countless individuals through her caring and compassionate demeanor.

Elaine’s catholic faith was extremely important to her, and through her membership at St. Francis Xavier Parish in De Pere, she was an active member of the Altar Rosary Society, Christian Ladies group, and helped at many church picnics. She had a great devotion to the blessed mother and prayed the rosary often. Her other involvements included the VFW Post 2113 Auxiliary, Legion Auxiliary and De Pere Catholic Women’s Club. Perhaps the dearest thing to her though was her family. One could not imagine a prouder mother, grandmother, great-grandmother (who called her GG or “double-g”), sister, aunt and friend.

Survivors include her children: Dan (Karen) Cotter, Mary Jo Cotter, Jean (Dennis) Van Hoof, and Mike (JoAnn) Cotter; grandchildren: Daniel Chipman, Melissa Chipman and her daughter Lauren, Mike (Nina) Van Hoof and their daughter Mira, Nick (Koren) Petersen and their son James, Katie (Rolando) Diaz and their son Miles, Matt (Ashley) Cotter, Eric (Lisa) Cotter and their daughter Layla and Alayna (Adam) Gajewski, Debbie Hauseur, other great-grandchildren: Chris, Kylee, Emma and Colton; brother: Don (Nancy) Pfotenhauer; sister-in-law Lorainne Cotter; nieces, nephews, other family and friends.

She joins in heaven her husband: Jim Sr; son Jim (Suzanne) Jr., great-grandson Jase; sister Gladyce Pfotenhauer; brother Gerald (Joan) Pfotenhauer; sister-in-law Julia (Eugene) Armstrong; brother-in-law Lucian (Selma) Cotter; brother-in-law Edward Cotter; nephew James Armstrong; niece Cheryl Burger and nephew Frederick Henderson.

For the safety of our family and many friends, a private mass will be held Saturday, November 7 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Ledgeview. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery. We ask for your prayers for mom and our family during this time.

Our family wishes to extend a special thank you to the caregivers and staff of Angel’s Touch, Rennes Rehab, Home Instead, Unity Hospice, the drivers for Arms of Angels and her beloved hairdresser Debbie; as well as to Steve Donovan for his many prayers and visits.

Elaine lived a long life. She witnessed events large and small and saw the passing of fads and inventions. In 1930, she survived a measles epidemic and in the 50's spent sleepless nights worrying about her children during the polio outbreak. She welcomed the development of vaccines and was waiting for the latest to open her world again. She listened to the War of the Worlds broadcast and World War II news on the radio; watched news of the cold war, space race and war in Vietnam in black and white on a bulky tv with a small screen. when the next war came, she watched it in color but much preferred the Golden Girls. Finally, she transitioned to a tablet to facetime with her great grandchildren. Elaine loved to tell the story of learning to drive with a manual transmission, no power steering or power brakes while backing down the hill that was her grandfather's driveway. She could write in shorthand, rapidly and accurately type using a manual typewriter, progressing to an electric one and finally a computer. She listened without complaint as her grandchildren loudly played a cassette tape of children's songs at least 1000 times. Elaine was the world's best bedtime story reader, taking on books from Dr. Suess to Little Women and Mary Poppins to Harry Potter. Elaine lived a quiet but loving life. An important life, as all lives are and she will be missed.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.