Koranda, Mary Jo

Mary Jo Koranda, 72, of 158 31st St. NW, died Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha following a short illness. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Monday at St. Jude Catholic Church, by Father Mark Reasoner. Burial: St. Joseph Cemetery. Friends may visit Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Teahen Funeral Home and Monday after 9 a.m. at the church.

Mary Jo is survived by one son, Jeffrey (Kathleen) of Clear Lake; three daughters, Julieann (Kevin) Twiss of Atlanta, Ga., Beth (Michael) Sykora of Cedar Rapids and Cheryl (Worth) Chollar of Dallas, Texas; nine grandchildren, Molly Friedman, Patrick and Cameron Mackey, Morgan and Kyle Twiss, Craig, Kirk and Kyle Sykora and Robbie Chollar; two great-grandchildren, Michael and Madelynn Friedman; sister, Jean (Dave) Steen; and brother, Ron (Bev) Schrader.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Thomas L.; and son, Bobby.

Mary Jo was born Feb. 22, 1938, in Davenport, the daughter of Herbert and Agnes Jansen Schrader. She married Thomas L. Koranda on Sept. 13, 1958, in Davenport. He died March 22, 1981. She was an executive secretary at Square D/Schneider Electric, retiring in 2005.

Mary Jo loved to line dance and was a member of the I.C. Country Dancers. She enjoyed her travels with the “Branson” girls. She also loved to read and watch movies.

She was a wonderful and loving mother and grandmother whose greatest passion in life were her children. She was also a generous and caring friend who will be greatly missed.

Memorials may be directed to the Hospice of Mercy or the American Cancer Society.

Online condolences may be left for the family at