Paulette Sturgeon Cotner

Paulette Sturgeon Cotner., known to her six grandchildren as Mimi and to everyone else as Polly, died Tuesday, June 6, 2017, at age 88 at Chateau Girardeau. She loved children’s literature and needlepoint, always dressed and acted like a lady and knew how to laugh. At the family’s annual Castorfest celebration each Labor Day, she recited a Cajun version of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” She was born Sept. 1, 1928, to educators Paul Hershel Sturgeon and Vernal Thelma Layman, and was the 29th baby born at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The family lived in Elvins, Bismark, Quilin, Bragadoccio, Cape Girardeau, St. Louis and new and old Greenville, where her parents variously served as teachers, principal and superintendent of schools. She married Dan B. Cotner on Christmas Day in 1948 at the First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau. They were married for 69 years. In 1953, she and three daughters under the age of four boarded a plane and flew to Tripoli, Libya, where Dan was stationed as an Air Force dentist at Wheelus Field. They remained in Tripoli for two years. Polly served as Dan’s dental assistant on many volunteer mission trips, including to Kilimombogo, Kenya, to the villages of Atucucho, Yuvientasa and Chimborazo near Quito, Ecuador; to Maesai Chiangrai, Thailand; and to Macas Sucua in the eastern Andes of Ecuador; and to Chennai, India. She and Dan had four children: Dr. Danna Cotner (Sam Blackwell) of Cape Girardeau; Danice Dean (U.S. Navy Capt. Larry Dean, retired) of San Diego, Calif;, Danel Burch (Dr. Douglas Burch) of Neosho, and Dr. Paul Cotner of Columbia. They have six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Polly earned a B.S. degree from Southeast Missouri State Teachers College and an M.S. in Library Science from Southeast Missouri State University in 1977. She was an instructional materials librarian at Kent Library for 28 years. She and Dan were one of the five founding families of Westminster Presbyterian Church. She served as a Sunday school teacher, member of the choir, elder and deacon. Polly was a docent at the Victorian-era Glenn House, was honored as a 51-year member of P.E.O., and was a past president and troop leader of the Otahki Girl Scout Council. In 1978 she received the Golden Lyre Award from Cape Girardeau Community Concerts. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. Saturday, June 10 until time of the service at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The service will begin at 11 .m. with the Rev. Karen Dumey officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, the Glenn House or Southeast Hospice. The family would like to give special thanks to the skilled nursing staff at Chateau Girardeau, to Southeast Missouri Hospital and to Southeast Hospice.

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Paulette Sturgeon Cotner

September 1, 1928 - June 6, 2017