Josephine Mardo Martin, 92, was born June 20, 1931 in Bonaparte and died August 23, 2023 at the Klein Center West Burlington. She was the daughter of George Walter and Willa Myers Martin. She was proud of the fact she was descended from several early Bonaparte area settlers with her Myers line here in the late 1830s, her Martin line here in the 1840s and her Rowe and White lines here in the early 1850s. Jo was very proud of her Irish heritage and loved her trip to Ireland in 2012.
On June 29, 1948 she married James W. Lunsford in Kahoka, MO. He passed away in 2010.
Josephine, or Jo or Aunt Marty as she was also called, lived all but a couple years of life her life in the same house in Bonaparte where she was born until declining health forced her into a care facility. She was mainly a homemaker but also worked at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Burlington during the Vietnam War and at Riverside Plastics in Bonaparte. Jo was an avid reader and was a great bread maker. Most of all she loved spending time with her family. She was a member of the Bonaparte United Church.
She is survived by six children: four sons, Joseph “Bill” (Mickey) of Birmingham, IA, Ernie (Charlou) of Olathe, KS, Wendell (Elaine) of Stockport, IA, James M. (Deanna Borns) of Quitman, TX; two daughters, Nancy Sperry (Dennis) of Danville, IA and Barbara Reinier (Rodney) of Lebanon, IL, 16 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, James and her parents she was preceded in death by two half-brothers, Mervin Martin and Joseph Alva Moore, an aunt, Trilla Myers Cass, three uncles, William, Charles and Alex, seven first cousins including John and Alva Cass with whom she was particularly close, and one, great grandson.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00AM on Monday August 28, 2023 at Pedrick Funeral Home in Keosauqua with Pastor Mary Kathryn Hart officiating. Visitation with family present will be from 2-4pm on Sunday August 27, 2023 at Pedrick Funeral Home. Burial will be in Bonaparte Cemetery immediately following the service. Memorials to Bonaparte Cemetery may be left at the funeral home or mailed to the family at 10152 Rieder Road, Lebanon, IL 62254. Friends may leave online condolences at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com
