Mary Jo Heidrick passed away peacefully at North Kansas City Hospital NorthCare Hospice, Kansas City, MO on May 7, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. She was 70. Mary Jo is survived by her daughter, Amy Heidrick, her son-in-law, Ben Baumgardner, and her cherished grandson, Austin Lee Baumgardner, all of Seattle, Washington. Mary Jo is survived by two sisters, Carolyn Ross Bean and Linda Ross Gericke; her nieces and nephews, Laurie Green (Jeff), LeAndra Kaye Smith-Preston (Paul), Lisa Smith Dow (Shane), and many great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Shirley Lee and Frances Lucille Cassity Ross, and a nephew, Ethan Gericke.
Mary Jo was born October 28, 1953 and lived her early life in Weston, MO. She graduated from West Platte High School in 1971 and attended Columbia College in Columbia MO graduating with a degree in Graphic Design.
After college, she moved to Ashland, Oregon and worked as a Graphic Designer and marketing professional, as well as in floral design and visual merchandising. She was a dedicated member of the Ashland Presbyterian Church, coordinating sanctuary flowers and decorations for holidays, assisting with the annual advent fair, serving as an usher and often playing the piano for services. In 1999, following the death of both parents, Mary Jo returned to Weston and arranged the authentic Victorian ambiance of her childhood home to open the popular Murphy House Bed and Breakfast where she entertained new and repeat guests for over 20 years and as recently as April 2024. Guests were impressed with Mary Jo’s hospitality, her local history knowledge, the expansive wrap around porch, her lush flower gardens, and her delicious French toast breakfasts. Mary Jo opened her home and B&B often through the years for Christmas and garden tours.
From the time Mary Jo moved back to Weston, she was generous with her professional expertise designing multiple versions of brochures, tent cards, newsletters, advertising campaigns, book covers, movie sets and television spots for Weston. She worked with the Weston Community Theatre on multiple projects including one that grew out of the Cemetery Stroll, the research and design of history signage within the Historic Laurel Hill Cemetery. She designed the 175th anniversary timeline graphics on Short Street and the Welcome to Weston sign on Highway 45 as part of the Preserve America Committee.
Her retail business, 1837 Emporium: An Eclectic Faire of handcrafted, new, refurbished, antiques and collectibles, just celebrated its tenth anniversary on April 20. The store is a Weston favorite as it showcases a revolving selection of unique items brought together by a small group of collectors. Mary Jo was a member of the Weston Christian Church where she helped with numerous projects to include many years of summer bible school. She enjoyed the Sunday morning broadcasts when her health kept her from attending the service.
Mary Jo was a past president of the Weston Chamber of Commerce and served on multiple committees within that organization. In April 2017, she was presented with the Chamber Glow Award that recognizes outstanding service and volunteerism for the organization and the community. It was during her tenure and working with other extraordinarily talented residents that Weston began its continual Best Day Trip designation by multiple publications.
Mary Jo dedicated untold volunteer hours to The Weston Historical Museum. She was directly responsible for the design of all printed material for the past 20 plus years. She served as a museum trustee and on several committees. Most recently, she was on the website redesign committee and served as the volunteer museum webmaster. She arranged the copy and graphics for the museum’s newsletter, The Musings. Multiple civic organizations benefited from Mary Jo’s contributions. She was a founding member of the Cottage Gardener’s Club, a longtime member of the Weston Study Club, a Weston book club, a social Wine Thirty group, and The Porch People. Mary Jo is remembered by her family as a loving and generous Mother and Mama Jo to Austin, who shared her many talents and always put her family first. She loved cocker spaniels and was preceded in death by pups Jesse, Jessica and Chester. Her last cocker, Riley, survives her.
The funeral is on Saturday, May 11th at Vaughn's Funeral Home in Weston, Missouri. The visitation is from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, the service is at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at Mount Bethel Cemetery. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Mary Jo’s life. Memorial donations can be made to Wayside Waifs (waysidewaifs.org) or The Weston Historical Museum (https://www.westonhistoricalmuseum.org/support-us).
