Lawler, Maureen Ann – 1947-2012

DETWILER, LAWLER, LAWSON, LYNCH, SMITH

Posted By: Polk volunteer
Date: 8/11/2024 at 11:38:14

Maureen Ann Lawler, 65 years young, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 1, 2012 (All Saints Day) in Johnston, Iowa, with family by her side.
Maureen's visitation will be held Monday, November 5, from 3 to 7 p.m. with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. at Dunn's Funeral Home, located at 2121 Grand Avenue, Des Moines. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 6, at 11 a.m., in Wall Lake, IA, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. She will then be laid to rest near her mother and father at the Wall Lake Cemetery.
Maureen will be remembered for her love of family and friends, her faith and devotion to the church, her skill in painting with grace and color and her insatiable appetite for reading. She cherished times spent with family, particularly her grandchildren and creating magnificent water colors depicting her favorite places. Maureen instilled creativity and fun in life whether it was playing cards and games or warming hearts with baking. You could count on her smile, her ability to lend a hand and her quick wit if you could catch it.
Maureen was born in Carroll, Iowa, to Ray and Elsie on March 8, 1947. She attended Wall Lake High School, was the Homecoming Queen and graduated Valedictorian in 1965. Ironically, she was probably most known for doing what she could to get out of school, just so she could read on her own. Maureen earned a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 1969. She had a successful career with the IRS and retired in 2000. Her most proud accomplishment was raising four children on her own, all of whom have gone on to successful careers and love one another very much.
Maureen is preceded in death by her dear brother Phil; and her parents, Ray and Elsie. She is survived by her sister, Mary Jo Lynch; brothers, Pat, Dan and Jim Lawler; her daughter, Jennifer Lawler (Dwight Smith); her sons, Stephen, Joseph (Anneliese Detwiler) and Gregory Friedrich (Angie Lawson); and her grandchildren, Lydia, Avery and Jamison Lawler, Ian and Lauren Detwiler and Samuel Lawson.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Reading Is Fundamental, www.rif.org, PO Box 33728, Washington, DC 20033. Condolences may be left in Maureen's online guestbook at www.IlesCares.com.
The family would like to pay special thanks to the many doctors and nurses of Mercy Hospital who worked tirelessly to help her fight to survive. They would also like to thank the kind folks at Mercy Hospice in Johnston who made her final days as comfortable as possible.
In closing, Maureen, you died too young, you were loved so much and we know you had a lot more love to give.
Loving you was always easy, getting you to laugh was very special, but it was your hugs that were the most essential. You were quick to tease, to play a few games, but you'd take a book in the corner if it was all just the same. To pray, to paint, to read, to bake, you will be remembered for all of these amazing traits, however its memories of a loving grandma that we will always ensure the grandchildren do not forsake.
We love you and miss you mom.
Published in Des Moines (IA) Register; Monday, November 5, 2012, page 9A