Mary Ann Kemp

To view the livestream service, click on the link https://vimeo.com/829561070

Mary Ann Kemp passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her children and grandchildren on May 21, 2023 at the age of 76. She was born to Mary Gaston and Joseph Wieland on January 26, 1947. She graduated from North High School in Des Moines, Iowa and worked as a beautician before taking work in customer service positions until retirement. Mary Ann was only a few years ago diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder called Supranuclear Palsy. This terrible disease took Mary from us and delivered her into the hands of her loving God at too early an age. The care she received from her sister, children and grandchildren in her final days is a testament to the great love held for her by all. She will be greatly missed.

In life, Mary Ann was a talented roller dancer, a free-living spirit, and a loving mother and grandmother. Always on the go, she loved her friends, her dogs, traveling, and exploring new places. She longed to constantly change her scenery, whether rearranging her home, moving to new places, visiting her kids in both the east and west coast of the US, Europe or the Middle East, or even simply getting out for a drive or going shopping. She took great pride in her home. She planted and maintained flowers each year and kept it spotless over the years even with a house full of five raucous children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In her home, you would often find her with a vacuum in hand, dusting her elephant collection, practicing the piano, working a puzzle, watching movies with her late husband, Neal, or tucked away on a chair with a romance novel. Her favorite times of the year were the holidays when her parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and nephews came together.

Mary Ann is survived by her five children: Mary Jo Goode, Reda Beebe (Alan), Shanon (Nael) Farsakh, Shane (Carmen) Rogers, and Ava (Matthew) Wiggins, two siblings Ruth Joiner and John (Hilda) Wieland, two sibling in-laws Brian Kemp and Linda Wright, 14 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of over 39 years Neal Kemp, mother Mary Gaston and stepfather Charles Gaston, in-laws Richard and Madalene Kemp and brother in-law Karl Kemp.

A celebration of life visitation will be held on Saturday, May 27, 2023 starting at 11:00 AM at the Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3601 E Court Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50317.