Wiese, Jo Ann Porter

Jo Ann Porter Wiese, 85, of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, July 18, 2010, at 3:30 a.m. at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. She had suffered many years from an undiagnosed disease. At last she went to the University of Iowa Hospitals and within a couple of weeks gastroenterologist Satish Rao identified carcinoid cancer, a rather rare and slow growing type of cancer that can often be controlled with surgery and specific medicines. However, her cancer could not be. When treatment failed she was put in the Hospice House where their loving and skilled program managed her pain for the last week of her life.

Jo was born on July 23, 1924, in Bellingham, Wash., to Lola and Sid Porter. She had a brother, Loren Porter of Vernal, Utah. Her sister was Cora Rae Woldtvedt, wife of Ray Woldtvedt of Shelby, Mont. All of these preceded her in death.

Jo attended schools in the Shelby area and high school in Bear River, Utah, followed by college at Montana State University in Missoula, Mont. During World War II, she did clerical work at the air base in Great Falls, Mont. After the war, she was at Farmer's Grain in Ogden, Utah. In Ogden she met her husband to be, Herbert F. Wiese. After their marriage they finished his education in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah and the University of Washington in Seattle. He taught German at Purdue University and later at Coe. They spent the rest of their lives in Cedar Rapids. Their son, Jeff Wiese was born here. He is a psychotherapist in Tucson, Ariz.

Jeff and Herb were at Jo's side in her last illness.

Other living relatives include her nephew, Sid and wife Connie Woldtvedt of Helena, Mont.; and nephew, Stanley Woldtvedt and wife Lynn of Shelby, Mont.

There will be no funeral services. Arrangements entrusted to Iowa Cremation.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Mercy, Coe College or the charity of the donor's choice.