Mary Lessmeier

MARY JO LESSMEIER

Mount Vernon

Mary Jo Lessmeier, 64, of Mount Vernon, died Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mount

Vernon, by the Rev. John R. Flaherty. Visitation: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the church, with a vigil at 4 p.m. Arrangements are with Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mount Vernon.

Survivors include her husband, Terry; son, Michael Lessmeier of Baltimore, Md.; daughter, Maggie (Nate) Willems of Mount Vernon; brothers, Dan (Mary) Smith of Wichita, Kan., Chip Smith of San Francisco, Calif., Tom (Sarah) Smith of Coralville, Mike Smith of Fort Dodge and Kevin (Ginny) Smith of Des Moines; sister, Patty (Jim) Hull of Fort Dodge; three grandchildren, Ava, Emery and Marlie Willems; and four nieces and eight nephews.

Mary Jo was born Aug. 31, 1951, in Elmhurst, Ill., the daughter of William and Margaret (O'Connor) Smith. She was a graduate of the University of Iowa and Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. On Aug. 21, 1972, she married Terry Lessmeier in Fort Dodge. Mary Jo worked as a police officer for the University of Iowa for 28 years and at Four Oaks as a youth counselor for 10 years.

She was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, PEO, AFSCME and a member and past president of the Iowa Association of Women Police.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Backpack Program of the Southeast Linn Community Center, 108 S Washington St., Lisbon, IA 52253.

Please share your support and memories with Mary Jo's family on her tribute wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries.