LAVARIER, Jean Marie 1937 - 2015

LAVARIER, RICHARDSON, SHEETZ, BENSON, HEINTZELMAN, FRITCHEN, NEUKIRCH, PATTERSON, EVENSON, MOTE

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 10/9/2017 at 11:12:16

Jean Marie LaVarier, 78 of Mason City, died Friday, December 25, 2015, at Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City.

A memorial service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 2, 2016, at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel in Mason City, with Pastor Ed Bard, Hospice of North Iowa, officiating.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Family suggests memorial contributions to the Jean LaVarier Memorial Fund.

Jean was born July 27, 1937, the daughter of LeRoy and Edith (Richardson) Sheetz in Brighton, IA. She was married and had two daughters, and later married Jack LaVarier on September 18, 1964. They lived in Illinois, Clear Lake, Tennessee, and most recently Mason City during their marriage.

Jean was a hard worker and mainly worked jobs where she could serve the public. She never met a stranger and was loved by all who knew her. She enjoyed and appreciated her friends and family. Her purpose in life was helping and giving to others. It was way more important to her to give than to receive. Her motto was “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” She was a nature and animal lover and took in many strays, resulting in her family lovingly referring to her as the “Crazy Cat Lady.” Her daughters describe her as a colorful character who touched the lives of many.

Those left behind to cherish Jean’s memory are two daughters, Sondra (Rick) Benson of Mason City and Rhonda (fiancé, Tom Neukirch) Heintzelman of Lincoln; a step-daughter, Julie Mote; five grandchildren, Amy Patterson, Josh Evenson, Jarrod Benson, Jordan Heintzelman, and Jarad Heintzelman and families; four step-grandsons and families; two great-grandsons; five great-granddaughters; a brother-in-law and sisters-in-law; many nieces, nephews; and many she adopted as her family, including, Kathy Larsen and children.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; a sister, Janet Fritchen; a sister-in-law; brothers-in-law; a son-in-law, Larry Heintzelman; and a nephew, Gary Fritchen.