Mary Elizabeth Waldschmidt

Mary E. (Gase) Waldschmidt, 86, of Lone Tree, formerly of Riverside, passed from this life on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Lone Tree Health Care Center. A memorial mass will be held Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 11:00 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Riverside with Father Bill Roush officiating. The service will be available via Livestream at the Beatty Peterseim Facebook and Youtube pages. Inurnment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Riverside. The family will greet friends prior to the service from 9 – 10:45 AM on Saturday, at the St. Mary’s Church Hall (Education Center) adjacent to the church. A memorial fund has been established for St. Mary’s Organ Restoration. The Beatty Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Mary Elizabeth Waldschmidt was born January 18, 1937, in Riverside, Iowa, the daughter of John and Eva (Yeggy) Gase. She graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School in 1955. On November 25, 1959, she was united in marriage to Cletus “Boots” Waldschmidt at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Mary worked as a cook at St. Mary’s Catholic School. After the school closed, she was a cook at the University of Iowa, feeding the Iowa football team at Hillcrest Hall.  Mary was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and a former member of the Riverside VFW. She was an avid reader and enjoyed going to the casino and traveling. Her travels included Europe, Texas, Hawaii, and many national parks.

Survivors include her son Paul (Diane) Waldschmidt of Kalona, two grandsons: Ryan (Shelby) Waldschmidt and Dan (Danielle) Waldschmidt, four great-grandchildren: Ainsley and Everly, Leo and Louis, two brothers: Francis Gase of Des Moines, and Joe (Marge) Gase of Cedar Rapids and her sister-in-law Carolyn Shalla of Kalona.

Preceding Mary in death were her parents, her husband Boots in 1979, son Michael in 1981, and three brothers: Louis, George and Paul Gase.