Mary Jane was born on November 24, 1930, to Joe and Ina (Paul) Holubar at her grandparent’s, Clarence and Jessie Paul, home in Green Mountain, IA. She attended schools in Marshall County. On August 13, 1950, Mary Jane was united in marriage to Floyd “Porky” Mayer at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. To this union, two children were born, Ina Jo and Floyd Jr. “Dusty.” Mary Jane and her husband farmed together in Marshall County from 1951 until Floyd’s passing in 2004, when their son, Dusty, carried on the family farming. She also worked at Dunham Bush for three years and Fishers for 27 and a half years. Mary Jane was known for her knitted shawls, which have made their way from the east coast to the west coast and many points in between, even reaching Japan. In her free time, she enjoyed knitting, crocheting, mowing the lawn, gardening, traveling, watching the birds at her birdfeeders, spending time at their cabin in Minnesota, and baking with her great grandchildren.

Mary Jane Mayer is survived by her children: Ina Jo (Jim) Van Ness, of Springfield, VA, and Dusty (Jo) Mayer, of Marshalltown; grandchildren: Kelly (Satomi) Mayer, of Sasebo, Japan, and Jonna (Jimmy) Garland, of Marshalltown; great grandchildren: Sean Mayer, of Sasebo, and Jade Mauseth and Bailey Garland, both of Marshalltown; two brothers: Max “Gene” Holubar and Joe Holubar, both of Marshalltown; sister Betty Fouts, of State Center, IA; sister-in-law Louise Holubar, of Marshalltown; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband of over 54 years, Floyd; sisters Doris Wilkening and Josie Shank and brother Dale Holubar.