Mary Jean Faust, a resident of the Heritage House, passed away Monday, February 28 at the age of 94.
Born in rural Delaware County, Iowa, Mary was the second of three daughters of Edward and Kathryn Meyer. She attended elementary school in Aurora and Stanley and graduated from Lamont High School. When her father became too ill to work on the farm, the family moved into Oelwein. Mary stayed behind for a year to graduate with her high school class of 1945.
After graduation, she worked for an Oelwein factory producing parts for the WWII effort. In late 1947, she met Everett G. “Red” Faust, who had recently returned from U.S. Army occupation duty in Japan. They were married at Oelwein’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church in 1950.
They moved to Atlantic in 1955, where they were co-owners of KJAN Radio, and in 1965, KCOG in Centerville. They were co-founders of Cable Communications of Iowa, of which the Atlantic and Centerville cable television systems were apart. Mary was a troop leader for the Brownies and Girl Scouts and a member of the Altar & Rosary Society at S.S. Peter & Paul Catholic Church.
In retirement, Mary and Red moved to Arizona, spending winters in Mesa and summers at Lakeside-Pinetop in the White Mountains. They enjoyed golfing and playing bridge, cruises in the Caribbean and Pacific, and trips to Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and The Vatican. A special trip was to Ireland, where Mary’s maternal ancestors emigrated from County Limerick. They returned to Atlantic in 2010 to live at the Heritage House.
Mary is survived by four children; Michael of Omaha, NE, Patricia of Crestone, CO, William (Brenda) of Philadelphia, PA, and Donald (Christine) of Yardley, PA, six grandchildren; Rachel, Christian and Madeleine Post, and Vincent, Daniel, and Anton Faust. She was preceded in death by her husband, sisters Marguerite and Joan, and daughter Teresa.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 12, 2022, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic, Iowa. Visitation with family present will be from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 12, 2022, also at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic, IA. A private family burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to S.S. Peter & Paul Catholic Church or the Heritage House Good Samaritan Fund. Mary’s children wish to thank the wonderful Heritage House staff who provided exceptional care and caring, to their mother in her final years.
Arrangements are held at Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic, IA.
