Sheetz, Mary Eileen

Mary Eileen Scheetz, 92, lifelong Johnson County resident, died Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at 6 a.m. at Mercy Hospice Care in Iowa City.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday at noon at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Iowa City, with The Very Rev. Rudolph Juarez officiating. Visitation will be held Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City, with a parish rosary beginning at 2:30 p.m. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice and St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

Mary Eileen was born Jan. 25, 1918, in Iowa City, the oldest daughter of Andrew and Ella (Beecher) O'Neil. She attended several years of high school at St. Mary's Academy in Chicago, Ill., then finished and graduated from St. Patrick's High School in Iowa City in 1936. She completed college at the Irish's Business College in Iowa City.

She married James Newkirk, Oct. 8, 1940, in St. Mary's Church in Morse, Iowa. They lived on a farm outside of Coralville and had seven wonderful children - Kathleen, Sherry, Andrew, Shelia, Nora, Kevin, and Thalia. When all children were enrolled in school, Mary Eileen went back to work working at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital, from which she retired in 1983. They moved to Iowa City in 1964 and celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 1965. James died of a heart attack on April 10, 1966. Mary Eileen later married Leo Scheetz on July 4, 1968. Mary and Leo spent 24 years together, enjoying their mutual love of dancing nearly every weekend. Leo died Jan. 13, 1992.

One of Mary Eileen's favorite hobbies was china painting, which she always took great pride in giving as family gifts. For weddings you could count on getting an M.E. original. She learned how to make porcelain dolls for her children. She enjoyed making different types of dolls with handmade clothes. She had quite a collection of them on display in her home. Another favorite hobby was the making of quilts. Each new grandchild received a handmade quilt full of love. She took great joy in each new grandchild. As soon as another grandchild was born, she asked for a handprint which she would stencil on her kitchen wall.

According to her, the most treasured possession that brought her the most joy was her “family and friends.” She believed that was what the true meaning of life was all about.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Salaish K. Sarin, the Iowa City Hospice staff and the staff at the Mercy Hospital Hospice who made Mary Eileen's last few days comfortable with their excellent care.

Survivors include her children, Kathleen (John) Schnoebelen, Sherry (Elson) Hauenstein, Andrew (Julie) Newkirk, Shelia (Russell) Vincent, Nora (Dennis) Hartman, Kevin Newkirk, Thalia (Mark) Sadewasser; grandchildren, Doug Schnoebelen, Stephanie Schnoebelen-Brintle, Valerie Gaul, Nicole Toth, Tina Cheney, Tammy Skinner, Ken Vincent, James Hartman, Carolyn Molitor, Dan Neal, Mike Schump, Rachael and Rose Sadewasser, Robin Hess, Sam Scheetz, Rich Alexander, Nicholas Alexander; and great-grandchildren, Amelia and Marcus Brintle, Christopher and Ben Gaul, Parker and Sidney Cheney, Faith Skinner, Dominic Molitor, Hunter Alexander, Cody Alexander. There were many nephews, nieces, great nephews, great-nieces and cousins.

Mary Eileen was preceded in death by her husbands, James Newkirk and Leo Scheetz; her parents, Andy and Ella O'Neil; her sister Rita Volk; and her brothers, Leo, Raymond and Joseph O'Neil.

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