Laura Jean (Thrasher) Coates

Laura Jean Coates, age 92, passed away peacefully at Great River Medical Center.

Laura was born March 13, 1934, at home on the farm in LaBelle, MO.  She was the daughter of Jodie Pierce and Lena Bangert Thrasher.  At age 9 her family moved to a farm in Chili, IL and a year later to a farm in Roseville, IL.  It was there she called home, graduating from Roseville High School in 1952.

Laura worked at Sylvania in Burlington, IA for 2 years as a cost accountant before attending beauty school at Burlington Beauty Academy.  She graduated as a cosmetologist in 1954 and went to work at Mademoiselle Beauty Salon in the Hotel Burlington.  It was then she first met Thomas Howard Coates at a basketball game in Burlington.  They dated a short four months and were married June 17, 1956 at the First Methodist Church in Burlington.

Tom and Laura moved to Fairfield, IA where Tom finished college, then on to Greeley, IA where Tom got his first job teaching and coaching high school students.  Their first child, Deb, was born in 1957, followed by son Steve in 1959.  The family moved to Mediapolis, IA in 1959 where Tom taught and coached.  Laura opened La Petite Beauty Salon in their home in 1961.  Their third child, Brad, was born in 1962.  Laura worked at her beauty salon for 40 years, finally retiring in 2001.

Tom, Laura and family were members of the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mediapolis for 43 years until Tom’s death in 2002.  Laura joined and is still a member of the Mediapolis Global Methodist Church.  She was a faithful attendee, including teaching a Sunday school class. 

Laura led a very active life.  Along with her daily beauty salon work, she spent the majority of time following her coaching husband, then kids, then grandkids to every sporting event imaginable.  Laura attended every single one of her kids’ games.  Her weekends were typically spent on a sandbar, pulling a water skier or at their cabin at the river.  As the kids got older, she and Tom took the kids on numerous summer vacations.  She enjoyed sewing, often making the clothes she and her children wore.  She also enjoyed shopping for family and friends and keeping up with the latest in new car trends.  In her later years she spent many hours driving friends to doctor appointments and running errands for those in the nursing home.

Laura is survived by her three children; Deb of Forest City, IA, Steve (Toni) of Mediapolis and Brad (Leslie) of Pleasant Grove, IA.  Her seven grandchildren include Rose, Drake (Allison), Sarah (Matt), Abby, Katie (Bryan), Sam and Allie.  She has two great grandchildren, Elsie (Drake and Allison) and Joe (Katie and Bryan) and a sister, Sue Hull, of Quincy, IL.

Laura was proceeded in death by her parents, husband Tom and infant brother Stanley.

Visitation will be on Thursday, May 28, 2026 from 9:00-10:00 am at the Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation Service of Mediapolis with funeral services to begin at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at Kossuth Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, Laura had requested any memorials be sent to the Mediapolis Ambulance Service.  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com. 

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