MARY JO HAUSER
MARY JO HAUSER
Mary Jo Hauser of Milan, MO, formerly of Wall Lake, IA, passed away on Friday, July 17th, 2026, at the age of 82. After a short battle with cancer, she was blessed with the compassion of hospice while surrounded by her family.
Mary Jo Beisch was born in Carroll, IA, on November 22nd, 1943, to Bob and Flossie Beisch. She joined her beloved sister, Carolyn, and they were raised in Wall Lake, IA. She graduated with lifelong friends from Wall Lake Community School, Class of 1961. She trained and worked in nursing, then waitressed at the Wall Lake Cafe, before marrying Kenneth Hauser on August 13th, 1970, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wall Lake, IA. That marriage added an 11-year-old daughter, Kathleen (Kathy) to her life. Two years later, a son, David, joined the family. Together, Mary and Ken shared the love of cattle, crops, and farming. They could not have been prouder to help pass the love of farming to David.
In the ensuing years, she enjoyed preparing and delivering meals to the guys in the field and around their kitchen table. She loved the years spent at the Country Inn in Lake View, preparing salads for their buffet. While her love of cooking started with a recipe box, it grew to fill an entire filing cabinet, not to mention shelves full of cookbooks. Her love of cooking was only surpassed by the love of those she shared it with, and her cookie jar was never empty!
In 1996, they moved their farming operation to join David in the Milan/Green City area of northeast Missouri, which also brought them closer to Ken’s U.S. Army buddies and their wives. Those friendships grew and deepened over the years through travel, camping, and a shared love of food and cooking. Mary and Ken’s lives were enriched by Kathy and Chuck Gunderson’s three children and later by David’s marriage to Kathleen Stuart. After Ken’s death in 2005, the new Missouri family brought her more grandchildren, two boys who became her pride and joy! Each Christmas season brought even more joy as she baked, cooked, and hosted family, neighbors, and friends in their large log home. She loved music, had an all-state voice, and sang in St. Joseph’s choir for decades. In her later years, she enjoyed playing the organ, card club with friends, TV game shows, and falling asleep to the Hallmark Channel. Her recipe for life: live simply and love deeply.
Celebrating her memory are: Her son David Hauser (Kathleen) and grandsons Henry and Hugh, all of Milan, MO, along with daughter Kathleen (Kathy) and Chuck Gunderson Jr. of Odebolt, IA. The first-born grandchild, who she dearly loved, Chase Gunderson, now of Kansas City, MO. Two granddaughters, and four great-grandchildren, Kellyanne (Kevin) Kohr, Kaia, and Kaden of Overland Park, KS and Karleigh (Alex) Drew, Michael, and Josephine, also of Overland Park, KS. Her sister and best friend Carolyn (Gary) Gregg of Lake City, IA, with whom she shared daily text messages and long phone calls filled with laughter. Additionally, she leaves behind two nephews, Jeff and Jerry Gregg and families, many Cook cousins, and lots of friends.
She was preceded in death by her much-loved husband of more than 35 years, Kenneth Hauser, along with her parents, Robert and Florence (Cook) Beisch, and her in-laws, Nick and Josephine (Steinkamp) Hauser.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Dillinger on Saturday, July 25th, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wall Lake, IA. Following Mass will be a celebration of life luncheon at Doc’s Place. A Catholic Rite of Committal will be held at the Wall Lake Cemetery for the immediate family.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 1st, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Milan, MO with a light meal to follow in the gathering space of the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to “Caring Hearts and Hands” of Columbia, MO online at www. CaringHeartAndHands. org or by USPS, 1307 West Broadway, Columbia, MO, 65203.
