Mary “Jo” Schaffer, 60, of Newton died on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009.
The family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009, at the Newton Baptist Temple. The Wallace Family Funeral Home in Newton is handling the local arrangements. There also will be a visitation that will be from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, at the Maas Funeral Home in Manito, Ill. A funeral will follow at 2 p.m. also at the funeral home. Memorials in Mary Jo’s name may be left at either funeral home or at the Newton Baptist Temple the night of visitation.
Those left to honor Mary Jo’s memory are her two daughters, Sheryl (John) Munson of Winterset, Iowa, and Terrie Schappaugh (Terry Burch) of Manito, Ill.; eight grandchildren, Cuchandra “Cassie,” Brittney, Lucas, Samuel, Ethan, Creed, Abigail and Eli; her siblings, Kathy (Barney) Gilmore of Havana, Ill., Roger (Sue) Green of Pekin, Ill., Beth Green of Easton, Ill., and Kevin (Priscilla) Green of Easton, Ill.; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Helen (Clark) Green.
Mary Jo was born on Jan. 23, 1949, in Beardstown, Ill. She grew up in Havana, Ill., where she graduated from Havana Community High School. Mary Jo then went on to receive her LPN from Illinois Central College in 1976. She had lived in Iowa for the past four years in Winterset and Newton. Mary Jo worked as an LPN for 33 years, most recently at Park Centre in Newton. She was a member of the Newton Baptist Temple and loved her grandchildren, gardening, quilting, remodeling houses and working for the Lord.