Mary Lou Kishmar, 79, rural Chamois, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City with family by her side.
She was born March 11, 1941, to Norbert and Marie (Carter) Stieferman,
in Warrensburg.
She was united in marriage to George Kishmar, Sept. 2, 1961, in Belleville, Ill.
Mary Lou grew up in Chamois, attended St. Mary’s Parochial School and graduated from Chamois High School in 1958. In September she enrolled in St. John’s School of Nursing in St. Louis and graduated in June 1961. George was a MU student at the time and after his graduation they moved to Seattle where he was employed at Boeing. She took time off to raise their two daughters before returning to nursing. They lived in Seattle nearly 32 years before returning to rural Chamois in 1997.
Mary was a very talented and artistic lady who loved to sew, paint, cook, forage for food in the wild, hike in the mountains and go boating in the Puget Sound area near Seattle. She was also very creative and would take damaged toys and material and restore them or create totally new artwork out of natural or exotic materials and even saved the lint from her dryer to make sweet fuzzy critters. But most of all, Mary was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who was dearly loved and will never be forgotten.
She was preceded in death by parents, Norbert and Marie; and sister, Lois Dattilo.
Mary is survived by loving husband of 59 years, George; daughters Shari Statler and husband Glenn of DeFuniak Springs, Fla. and Cindy Chavez and husband Jesus of Jefferson City; granddaughters Dolana and Vanessa Statler and Samantha Negron; great-grandson Samuel Morrisey; and sister, Dema Schnauss and husband Gene of Chamois.
A memorial service will be held privately by the family.
Memorial contributions suggested to the Chamois Lions Club, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Wounded Warriors.
Arrangements entrusted to Morton Chapel in Linn.
