Mary Jane Watts

Celebration of Life Gathering will be held 3:00 p.m. ~ 6:00 p.m., Saturday, June 28, 2025, Eagles Club, Missouri Valley, Iowa.

Mary Jane (Baxter) Watts, age 73 of Modale, Iowa passed away on May 3, 2025. Mary was born on December 13, 1951, in Dunlap, Iowa to Ronald and Elaine (Cornelius) Baxter. She was one of seventeen children born. She attended Missouri Valley schools until the family moved to Council Bluffs where she attended Thomas Jefferson High School.

Mary met Jerry Watts and the two were married on April 10, 1971. They had three children: Shawn, Christopher and Sahra.

Mary was a loving wife, mother and friend. She loved baking goodies for the holidays and was a fabulous cook.

Mary loved to play bingo, it wasn’t unusual to find her at the bingo hall on a Friday or Saturday night. She was an avid pool player, and she spent many years playing pool for the Council Bluffs Women’s League. She enjoyed spending her time outdoors mushroom hunting, camping and fishing with her family and friends. In her later years she picked up hunting and shot her first deer when she was 62 years old.

Our mother was a strong woman with a soft heart. She loved her family more than anything. She will be deeply missed by many.

Mary is preceded in death by her husband of 54 years Jerry Watts, parents Ronald and Elaine Baxter, brothers Jimmy, Kenny, David, Rick, Larry, Roy and Mike Baxter, sister Ila Briggs and infant sister Linda Baxter. In-Laws; parents, Jesse and Emily Watts, brothers, Robert and Marvin Watts, sisters, Sharon Nichols and Pauline Tompkins, daughter in law Kristine Watts.

Mary is survived by her Children; Shawn (Gloria), Chris, and Sahra Watts. Grandchildren; Patrick, David, Kaylynn (Kat), Emily, Jesse, Marvin, and Remington. Great-grandchildren; Bently, and Aroura. Brothers; Terry, Ronald Jr., and Tim Baxter. Sisters; June Christensen, Bonnie Gale, and Roxanne Bothwell. Many nieces and nephews.

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