Mary Lou Rasmusson, age 89, of Nevada, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 19, 2026, at Story County Senior Care in Nevada, surrounded by her family.

Mary Lou was born on June 29, 1936, in Boone, Iowa, the daughter of Roy Leslie Sr. and Helen Irene (Smith) Carpenter. She graduated from Boone High School in 1954. Later that year, on October 28, 1954, she married Harlan Deloss Rasmusson in Nevada, Iowa at Central Presbyterian Church.

In her early years, Mary Lou worked at Boone Dairy before beginning her career at Donnelly Marketing in Nevada, where she worked until her retirement in 1999.

Mary Lou had a creative heart and gifted hands. She enjoyed sewing and quilting before moving to Senior Care, and in her later years she found joy in jigsaw puzzles, color-by-number projects, and nearly every kind of craft imaginable. Many of those crafts became thoughtful gifts, small pieces of herself shared with the people she loved. Though she did not have children of her own, Mary Lou poured her love into her nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews. She treasured visits, welcomed company with warmth, and loved telling stories from a life filled with memories.

Mary Lou will be lovingly remembered by those who cared for her and loved her like a mother, including her nephew, Larry (Angela) Rasmusson of Nevada; her niece, Nikki (Clint) Ledbetter of Rush, Colorado; and her nephew, David (Liz) Rasmusson of Ames. She is also survived by several great-nieces and nephews and many great-great-nieces and nephews, each of whom held a special place in her heart.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Helen Carpenter; her husband, Harlan Rasmusson, in 2017; and her brother, Roy Carpenter Jr.

A funeral service for Mary Lou will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral Home, 1418 Fawcett Parkway in Nevada. Family will greet friends one hour prior to the service. Mary Lou will be laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery near Moingona, Iowa following the service.

Memorial donations may be made to the Story County Senior Care Activity Fund in memory of Mary Lou.

Mary Lou’s family would like to express their deepest gratitude to Suncrest Hospice and Story County Senior Care for the exceptional care, tenderness, and compassion shown to her. Since becoming a resident in 2019, Mary Lou came to love everyone at Senior Care like family, and the kindness she received there will never be forgotten.