Mary Joan "Jo" Muffly

Mary Joan (Connealy) Muffly (“Jo”), age 90, of Fort Collins, Colorado, previously of Pender, Nebraska, passed away unexpectedly on May 29, 2017 at the Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.  The visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11, 2017, with a wake service at 7:00 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Pender.  The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 12, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. She will be interred beside Muff and daughter Mary at the Rosehill Cemetery in Pender. Memorials may be offered to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, (108 N. 5th Street, Pender, Nebraska, 68047).  Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh - Smith Funeral Home in Pender.Jo was born at home in Decatur, Nebraska on March 11, 1927. She was the third of five children born to Ted and Genevieve (Tobin) Connealy and their only daughter. When she was 9, her father took a job with the FDIC which required the family to move from Decatur to many different cities and towns in the central part of the country. She lived in Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin and Michigan. Moving so often, the children had little time to set down roots or friendships, so she and her brothers were closely bound — a closeness that continued through their lives. She graduated from Dodgeville (Wisconsin) High School in 1944. She began college at the University of Wisconsin, but graduated from Eastern Michigan University. She received an additional teaching certificate from Chadron State College. While in college, she worked as a secretary for an executive with Ford Motors at the Willow Run Plant and for an ex-governor of Nebraska. Her first teaching job was in Hay Springs, Nebraska, where she met the newly-minted town physician, Dr. Charles Muffly (“Muff”). Jo and Muff were married in 1953 and moved to Pender, Nebraska, where Muff then practiced for over 45 years. Jo and Muff had three sons,Tom (Helen), Dan (Paula), and Dave. A daughter, Mary, died shortly after birth.Jo was a devout Catholic, raising her sons in the church and she made sure they were always available for altar-boy service. She was active in her church, St. John the Baptist, and was in the Alter Society. She was a den mother to many scouts, a driver to ball games and a guide on many fishing and hunting expeditions around Pender. Next to her faith and family, she loved to play golf. She played regularly until she was 85 — after that, she watched it each weekend — so long as her Huskers were not playing. She and Muff were season ticket holders since the North Stadium was built — attending most home games and listening to the radio when they were away. When not playing golf, she cooked and crafted — making everything from breads and caramels to jackets and sweatshirts. She loved to hunt and cook morel mushrooms from the Missouri river bottom of her youth. She played bridge, competed in women's and senior golf leagues and tournaments, and later in life, was an avid bingo player. Jo will be remembered as a caring mother, a great friend and confidant, but also as a classic Irish lass, full of spunk with a mischievous sense of humor -- she was a character...After Muff’s passing in 2012, she moved to Fort Collins to be near her son Dan and his family. While there, she attended her grandchildren's soccer games and made many new friends. She was a member of St. John the 23rd parish in Fort Collins.She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her daughter, and her brothers, Dan, Bob, Neil and Marty. She is survived by her three sons, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews cousins and various golfing buddies and other friends. She was an amazing woman and she will be sorely missed — but she will be welcomed in heaven by those who preceded her.