Mary Patricia Meier

Mary Patricia Meier, known as "Pat"; passed away peacefully at home on July 23, 2024, at the age of 95, surrounded by her loving family in Perry, Iowa.

Born on July 27, 1928, to Albert and Grace (Wilcox) Johns, Pat grew up in Perry, where she cultivated a lifelong love of learning. She married her childhood sweetheart, Jack Edward Meier, in 1950. Together, they raised five daughters and shared over six decades of marriage until Jack's passing in 2016.

Pat's life journey included several fulfilling roles. She worked as a switchboard operator at the Northwestern Bell telephone office in Perry and spent two years for them as a draftsperson in Glendale, CA, before returning to Iowa. Upon return, she focused on raising her family which included two younger sisters, Sandy and Linda, and then concluded her career at Woodward State Hospital and School, where she was a supervisor.

A passionate reader, Pat devoured two to three books weekly, borrowed from the Perry Public Library. She felt a deep kinship with the library and the librarians. She also enjoyed quilting, artistic pursuits, collecting cookbooks, and engaging in lively conversations with her siblings, daughters, and friends. Pat cherished the travels she undertook across the United States and abroad with Jack and their children,

creating lasting memories together.

Described by her daughters as a woman of integrity and wisdom, a bearer of traditions and having a quick, dry wit, Pat exemplified unconditional love as a mother. Her family and friends revered her as "the real deal" - genuine, kind, gentle, wise, and well respected.

Pat's life will be honored with a service at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home on Monday, July 29th in Perry, Iowa. Visitation begins at 11:00 AM, followed by a service at 12:00 PM. She will be laid to rest with Jack at Violet Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Perry Public Library or the Perry Emergency Food Pantry.

Preceding Pat in death were her parents, Albert and Grace Johns; husband, Jack; her siblings, Doris Pantier, Donald Johns, Vernas Shipley, Verna Martin, Norma Herridge, George Johns, Sandra Botts; grandson, Curtis Cooper; and son-in-law, John Smeltzer. She is survived by her sister, Linda Olsen (Bob); and brother-in-law, Larry Botts; daughters, Tracy Voss (Jim), Leslie Meier (Chuck Stangor), Lisa Meier, Sidney Meier, and Mary Pat Meier-Eglin (Christophe); six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Mary Patricia Meier will be deeply missed and remembered fondly for her unwavering love, compassion, legacy of wisdom and her cooking.