Mary Jo (Farmer) Saladino was peacefully escorted to her heavenly home on May 14, 2019 by Jesus where she will join her husband, Lou. Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco at Noon. Visitation and Rosary will be at 11:00 a.m.
Mary Jo Saladino was born on May 24, 1926 to Joseph Clarence and Irene Cecelia (Parks) Farmer in Abilene, Texas. Her family moved to Waco when she was very young, and she graduated from Waco High school during WWII in 1944. She attended business school and sometimes helped answer phones for her father’s plumbing business. At that time, most of the young men had enlisted after Pearl Harbor, so she and her sister and friends would often go to the USO to volunteer. Though she never reached 5 feet in height she was often referred to as a “fiery red head” or a “little spitfire”. It was here that she danced with Louis Francis Saladino.
Mary Jo married Louis Francis Saladino on June 9, 1950. On 12/4/52 their first son ‘Bobbie” was born. Bobbie was born with spina bifida yet with her loving care he lived 5 ½ months. Then in January of 1954 Louis Dale “Dale” was born and 11 months later John David “David” was born. The next dozen years she enjoyed raising the boys supported by meatballs at Mama and Papa Saladino’s and many Sunday dinners at Mo Mo’s and Pap Pap’s with her sister’s family.
In 1965, when Connally Air Force Base closed, Mary Jo, Lou and the family moved to Corpus Christi with other families. They became lifelong friends with other families who moved as well as with neighboring families in Corpus Christi. There’s a story here about the boys taking live crabs out of the basket and it was a scramble to catch dinner again.
Mary Jo worked at J C Penney in the 1970’s to help with her boy’s college expenses. She surmised that because of her business background she always got to do inventory.
She and her sister were very close so when Connally closed, they were no longer in the same city. She wrote her sister weekly for many years, especially when long distance wasn’t free. She also wrote to her boys and grandsons. She was an avid reader and was known in the family for clipping articles and sending them to the person the topic would help.
She loved music and watching old musicals. She would sing and swing with her Grandsons in the backyard often changing the lyrics by adding a word. Sometimes her Grandson’s surprised other people with the new version. She was sharp and remembered dates and family events. She was quick witted and answered never ending questions from five genius Grandsons. She loved to repeat these stories like the one about black birds and vanilla ice cream or the adventures of gluing pennies to the sidewalk. If you ask her grandsons their earliest memories are often of her.
In 1995 with both of the boys grown and no longer in Corpus Christi, she and Lou returned to Waco so he could be closer to his brothers and sisters. They lived there until Lou had a stroke. She and Lou relocated to Cedar Park/Leander which was now closer to Dale and David. She always counted her blessing about her two wonderful sons. Through everything she always kept her sense of humor. She was even named the funniest resident in her Cedar Park assisted living facility.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Lou (married 56 years), her infant son Robert Joseph “Bobbie”, her brother John Parks “Buddy” Farmer, and her nephew Richard Leo Stecher.
She is survived by her sons: Louis Dale Saladino and wife Sharon of Cedar Park, John David Saladino and wife Becky of New Braunfels. Grandsons: John Anthony (Erika), Chad David, Chase John, Paul Joseph(Amanda) and Christopher Louis Saladino. Great-Grandchildren: Liam, Ava, and Asher. Her sister, Anna Louise (Sissy) Stecher and husband Edwin, and Niece Diane Brown(Mark), Sister-in-law Charlotte(Johnny)Saladino of Waco.
