Mary Des Jardins
January 21, 1928 — November 4, 2024
Mary Des Jardins, 96, of Webster City passed away on Monday, November 4, 2024 at Southfield Wellness Community in Webster City, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 9, 2024 at Foster Funeral and Cremation Center with visitation one hour prior to the services. Burial will follow the service at Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, November 8, 2024 at the funeral home.
Mary Pearl Des Jardins was born January 21st, 1928, the daughter of Charles E. and Florence Edith (Morgan) Rasmussen. Mary and her twin brother, Richard, were born at the home of their grandparents in Eagle Grove, Iowa. She attended elementary school in Iowa and California, graduating from high school in 1946 in Webster City. She attended Iowa State Teacher’s College and taught elementary school in Goldfield, Iowa. After a year of teaching, she worked as a library assistant at Kendall Young Library where she met her future husband, Bill Des Jardins. They were married on June 8, 1952. After marriage, the couple lived in Kansas, New Mexico, Missouri, and Colorado where Bill was the first Public Relations Officer at the new Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. After her husband was killed in a helicopter crash at the Academy, Mary returned to Webster City to be near her family.
She returned to the University of Northern Iowa for her degree in Library Science. Mary served as the librarian at Northeast Hamilton School for 9 years, and then the Webster City High School for 14 years. After her retirement, she continued working as a volunteer at the Kendall Young Library.
Mary’s other interests were reading, sewing patchwork quilts, embroidery projects, collecting Native American artifacts and rocks, and walking with her dear friend, Linda Barrick. When her health permitted, she traveled several times to Europe, Japan, England, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii. In later years, Mary enjoyed bus tours in the U.S. She was affectionately known as Meme; her main interest was her family. She thought of her nieces and nephews as her children.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Norma Rasmussen; nieces and nephews, Bruce Rasmussen (Jill), Marsha Kasemeier (Larry), George Rasmussen (Gloria), Kris Clouse (Denny), Rick Rasmussen (Alayne), David Mitchell (Sharon), Steven Mitchell (Angie), Jim Mitchell (Cindy), Ted Mitchell (Janet), Robert Mitchell (Robin). Great nieces and nephews, Jolene Messerly, Kelsie Jergens (Josh), Lauren Humphreys (Rob), Matthew Mitchell (Libby), Nolan Mitchell (Emma), Olivia Chalfant (Kyle), Evan Mitchell (Brittney), Morgan Dickinson (Ryan), Alex Mitchell (Liz), Cameron Mitchell, Mckenna Mitchell, Seth Mitchell (Sarah), Sierra Mitchell, Megan Rasmussen, David Rasmussen, John Rasmussen (Allie), Katie Rasmussen, Grace Rasmussen, Lauren Edwards (Kory), Libby Kraft (Todd), Ben Rasmussen (Kelsey), Lisa Derr (Josh), Mark Kasemeier (Sarah) and 25 great-great-nieces and nephews.
Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Chuck and Florence; her twin brother, Richard and her sister, Frances Mitchell.
She was a member of the National Education Association, Kappa Delta Pi, Delta Kappa Gamma, BPW, Hamilton County Hospital Auxiliary, Friends of Kendall Young Library, and the New Testament Church of Christ.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Kendall Young Library in Mary’s memory.
Mary Pearl Des Jardins was born January 21st, 1928, the daughter of Charles E. and Florence Edith (Morgan) Rasmussen. Mary and her twin brother, Richard, were born at the home of their grandparents in Eagle Grove, Iowa. She attended elementary school in Iowa and California, graduating from high school in 1946 in Webster City. She attended Iowa State Teacher’s College and taught elementary school in Goldfield, Iowa. After a year of teaching, she worked as a library assistant at Kendall Young Library where she met her future husband, Bill Des Jardins. They were married on June 8, 1952. After marriage, the couple lived in Kansas, New Mexico, Missouri, and Colorado where Bill was the first Public Relations Officer at the new Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. After her husband was killed in a helicopter crash at the Academy, Mary returned to Webster City to be near her family.
She returned to the University of Northern Iowa for her degree in Library Science. Mary served as the librarian at Northeast Hamilton School for 9 years, and then the Webster City High School for 14 years. After her retirement, she continued working as a volunteer at the Kendall Young Library.
Mary’s other interests were reading, sewing patchwork quilts, embroidery projects, collecting Native American artifacts and rocks, and walking with her dear friend, Linda Barrick. When her health permitted, she traveled several times to Europe, Japan, England, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii. In later years, Mary enjoyed bus tours in the U.S. She was affectionately known as Meme; her main interest was her family. She thought of her nieces and nephews as her children.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Norma Rasmussen; nieces and nephews, Bruce Rasmussen (Jill), Marsha Kasemeier (Larry), George Rasmussen (Gloria), Kris Clouse (Denny), Rick Rasmussen (Alayne), David Mitchell (Sharon), Steven Mitchell (Angie), Jim Mitchell (Cindy), Ted Mitchell (Janet), Robert Mitchell (Robin). Great nieces and nephews, Jolene Messerly, Kelsie Jergens (Josh), Lauren Humphreys (Rob), Matthew Mitchell (Libby), Nolan Mitchell (Emma), Olivia Chalfant (Kyle), Evan Mitchell (Brittney), Morgan Dickinson (Ryan), Alex Mitchell (Liz), Cameron Mitchell, Mckenna Mitchell, Seth Mitchell (Sarah), Sierra Mitchell, Megan Rasmussen, David Rasmussen, John Rasmussen (Allie), Katie Rasmussen, Grace Rasmussen, Lauren Edwards (Kory), Libby Kraft (Todd), Ben Rasmussen (Kelsey), Lisa Derr (Josh), Mark Kasemeier (Sarah) and 25 great-great-nieces and nephews.
Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her parents, Chuck and Florence; her twin brother, Richard and her sister, Frances Mitchell.
She was a member of the National Education Association, Kappa Delta Pi, Delta Kappa Gamma, BPW, Hamilton County Hospital Auxiliary, Friends of Kendall Young Library, and the New Testament Church of Christ.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Kendall Young Library in Mary’s memory.
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