Meyer, Mary Eileen "Toots" (Devine) 1947 2024

MEYER, DEVINE

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 7/12/2024 at 14:52:50

Well, this is from all of us. When other people write these things they use “nice” language and don’t say die/dead/died. But if you met Mary Eileen-Mom you knew that she was a straightforward lady and expected the same kind of approach or answer. So-Mary Eileen Devine Meyer died peacefully surrounded by her family on July 9th, 2024, from a Perforated Bowel and Septic Shock, after a 15-year battle with cancer. She was the loving and caring wife to Jody for 52 years and Mother in the same way to three sons, Sean, Brendan, and Colin.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 12, 2024, at St. Benedict Catholic Church 307 West Main Street, Decorah, IA with Rev. Donald Hertges presiding. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hanover – North of Waukon.

Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m., until the time of service at the church on Friday morning. The Helms Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Mary Eileen “Toots” to her family was born in Ottumwa, Iowa on 11/19/47, the oldest of seven-Mary, Pat, Mickey, Tim, Francie, Terry, and John. She was a farm kid growing up North of Sigourney. She loved to read and could be found “in the grove” when not helping in the house. Upon her Fathers suggestion she went to State Teachers College of Iowa (UNI) and earned a B.A. in Library Science and her Masters in Educational Media. After teaching in Riceville for a year she met Jody at a New Year’s Eve part in ’71. They started courting in January, he proposed, and she accepted in February, received her diamond on April 1st and they were married August 5th, 1972. She continued her teaching profession at South Winneshiek and then North Winn. until Sean came along in 1980, followed by Brendan in ’82 and Colin in ’83. Needless to say, she was blessed and took on her greatest role as a stay-at-home mom raising her three sons. She started home-schooling her sons in 1990 and was also an overseeing teacher for other home-schooling families.

In 1993 she took her husband and “Boys” to see the Pope (Now Saint John Paul II) in Denver for World Youth Day. She loved History, Outdoor camping, Travel, Quilting, and anything Irish. She has been to almost all 50 states, plus Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Great Britain, and Medjugorje. Her greatest fun adventure has been an annual Wagon Train Vacation in Jamestown ND starting in 1990 when the boys were six, eight, and ten.

She finished her last Trail ride on June 22nd, 2024, enjoying every minute of it.

She was unwavering in her Catholic Faith, and very active in the Pro-life movement. A 100% pro-life Catholic who believed that life started at natural conception and ended at natural death. She leaves behind her husband Jody, Sean and his wife Johanna their infant son Roman, Brendan and his wife Mariah their daughters Briah, Lucy, and Cecelia, and Colin the youngest of the Devine Meyer clan. She was preceded in death by her parents F.P. and Eileen, Pat her brother and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Source: Helms Funeral Home database