Mary "Jo" Hermesmeyer...Age 80

VISITATION: 6-8 PM THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015
EDDY-BIRCHARD FUNERAL HOME

GRAVESIDE: 10 AM FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015
RUHAMAH CEMETERY - RANTOUL, KANSAS

MEMORIAL: OLATHE MEDICAL CENTER HOSPICE

Memorials may be sent in care of:
Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430
Osawatomie, KS 66064

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Mary Jo Hermesmeyer age 80, of Osawatomie, Kansas died Monday, July 6, 2015 at her home.

Jo as she was known to everyone was born April 13, 1935 in Rantoul, Kansas. She was the youngest of six children born to Lewellyn M. and Josie Fern (Camp) Watkins.

She grew up in Rantoul and attended school there, graduating from Rantoul High School with the class of 1955.

In the summer of 1954 Jo was attending the fair in Ottawa, Kansas with friends when she met her future husband Ferdinand “Bud” Hermesmeyer. She was friends with his twin sisters and though the meeting was unusual the connection was amazing. On November 23, 1955 Jo and Bud married at the Catholic Church in Ottawa. The young couple made their home on the Hermesmeyer family farm for about ten years, and became the parents of two children Patricia and Daniel. In 1965 they moved to Osawatomie and remained in the same house until it burned in 1997. They then rebuilt their home on the same spot and it still remains “home” today. Jo and Bud would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this November.

Jo was a woman who liked to stay busy, she had worked her first job as a telephone operator while still in high school. Staying home after marriage to raise her children, she then went back to work after her children were of school age. She went to work at Modoeay Sewing Factory, Aggie’s, and later at Ralph’s Food Center until it closed as well as a few other small jobs and was a longtime employee at Brown’s Hardware all of which were in Osawatomie. Everyone in town knew Jo, and her smiling face was always a delight when shopping, she always knew what you were needing and where to find it in the store. She retired from Brown’s Hardware in 2010 when the stored closed.

She was an amazing wife, mother, and grandmother, Jo was a den mother and a softball coach when her children were young and loved doing it. She was a fantastic cook and her family was always happy to dine on her homemade chicken and noodles, not to mention her goulash and lasagna. Holidays were special at her house, at Christmas she adorned her home with decorations, a “million” presents under the tree and she even enjoyed hiding them all over the house.

Jo liked to spend time at the lake, swimming, boating and jet skiing with her children, grandchildren and grand-“dogs” all who lovingly called her “Gram”.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two newborn sisters, a brother “Buddy” as a toddler and two sisters: Susie Ludwig and Nellie Blackstone.

Survivors include: her husband Bud of the home, daughter Patricia (Donald) Krueger and son Daniel Hermesmeyer all of Osawatomie. Four grandchildren: Michelle (Jordan) Troth of LaCygne, KS, Anna (Kevin) Elliott of Belton, MO, Kris (Trish) Krueger of Spring Hill, KS, Matt (Brooke) Krueger of Overland Park, KS, and three great grandchildren: Dayton Elliott and twins Brynn & Harper Elliott, along with a lifetime of friends.