SCHMELZER, Mary Jo --- 1956-1983

LANGRECK, SCHMELZER, GREGORY

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 1/2/2013 at 18:34:14

Mary Jo Schmelzer

A funeral mass for Mary Jo Schmelzer was conducted Wednesday, June 8, 1983 at 11 a.m. at St. Bridget Catholic Church in Postville by the Rev. A. A. McAvoy. The Schutte Funeral Service of Postville was in charge of the arrangements. Burial was in Mt. Calvary Cemetery at West Union, Iowa.

Mary Jo Schmelzer, daughter of Raymond and Beata Irene (Langreck) Schmelzer, was born March 19, 1956 at Mercy Hospital, Dubuque, Iowa. She died Sunday, June 5, 1983 as the result of an automobile accident near Postville.

Mary Jo became a member of the Schmelzer family by adoption on May 4, 1956. She was baptized by the Rev. Edmund Cooney at Holy Name Catholic Church in West Union.

She attended school in West Union until 1967 when the family moved to the farm near Postville and graduated from the Postville High School in 1974. Mary Jo attended Viterbo College in LaCrosse and graduated in 1978 with a B. A. Degree in Social Work. She was employed as a social worker in a home for girls at Keokuk, Iowa during the summer of 1980.

Mary Jo returned to her home on the farm to help her parents with their dairy operation. She was active in 4-H and showed her family's Brown Swiss cattle at the local fair.

She had planned to be married September 3 to Darwin Polk of Waverly, Iowa.

She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Arthur and Eva Schmelzer, and her maternal grandfather, John J. Langreck.

Surviving besides her parents and fiance are a sister, Mrs. Gary (Jean Marie) Gregory of Minneapolis and her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Lena Langreck of West Union.

Postville, Iowa newspaper of the time clipping, from Dorothy Schave's obituary collection.