Jo Everly

Joan Kay (Hol) Everly was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa on March 8, 1944. You might know her better as Jo. Only her mother called her Joan (which is actually pronounced JoAnn). She was the fifth of six children to Bert and Anna Hol and was raised on a farm outside of Monroe, Iowa. She had many fond memories of growing up on the farm and going to school in Monroe. Her family moved to Pella when she was in high school. In Pella she met lifelong friends, Karen and Phyllis. The three of them remained friends her entire life. Jo graduated from Pella High School in 1962. At a New Years Eve party, she met Gene Everly. They went on their first date the following week and were engaged six months later. Jo and Gene were married on June 10, 1965 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Knoxville, Iowa. They made their home in Pella, where they started their family when their daughter Paige was born. They moved to Cedar Falls in 1970 and welcomed two more children, Chadwick, and Derise. In 1974, Jo and Gene opened a custom textile business in the basement and the garage of their home. Canseal Canvas provided the first job for all of her children and for many neighborhood kids. She ran the business for 40 years before proudly selling it to her son, Chad, in 2014. Jo loved her family and friends with her entire being and she never hesitated to tell them. Every time her kids or grandkids or a dear friend left her house, she would say, “Love you, babe,” which often elicited the response, “Love you, back.” Jo enjoyed many things and had many hobbies over the years. She loved to draw and was very talented, although she didn’t do it much. She enjoyed all kinds of sports – especially if her kids or grandkids played. She never missed a game or a match or a dance recital. She was the loudest and most unapologetic fan, using that signature whistle of hers to assist with her cheering. She was a lifelong Hawkeye fan and loved the Indiana Fever. She liked to bowl – but mostly enjoyed her bowling team, who called her “Josaphine Laverne.” She loved Christmas with her whole heart and covered her entire house in Christmas cheer – and lots of Santas. She also loved shopping for others (especially her grandkids) and she was often generous to a fault. She was always up for an adventure or a prank. She enjoyed bird watching, and we are sad to report that she never did see a Pileated Woodpecker. She adored and loved her many pets over the years and every one of her grandpuppies. The River was her favorite place. Although she never learned to swim and was deathly afraid of the water, she was always up for an innertube float down the Mississippi with Judy, a canoe trip with the Nebraska Everlys, or a day fishing in a powder puff tournament with Gene. She loved driving the golf cart around, visiting her beloved river friends, and enjoying happy hour at 4pm every day. She especially loved when the cabin was crowded with her family and other people she loved. Jo loved a gathering of any kind. She threw parties when she was mad at Gene (aptly called “I hate Gene” parties). She invited people over to watch “the game.” She loved going to family get-togethers and weekends away with girlfriends. She wanted the family to come over for pizza all the time. She loved when everyone was at the cabin together. She liked to be in on the action and sought to surround herself with her people as often as possible. She taught her kids to write down things on scraps of paper and tuck them into safe places if they wanted to remember them; to treat themselves to a good cup of coffee or a cookie; to always be up for a cup of coffee or a drink with a good friend; to cherish good pajamas and to stay in them all day if we felt the need; to fix things that were broken, no matter how broken they were; to customize anything to make it work for us; to figure things out; to drive fast; to tell your story and speak your truth, narrate your life, and never leave a detail out (preferably on long trips in the car when you are a passenger). She expected her kids to come home when they heard her whistle; to be ready for a new project or a new adventure; to love their community and God; to enjoy each other and to be good people. Jo was young-at-heart and, in many ways, innocent. She could be naïve and hilarious – sometimes not on purpose. She often spoke without thinking and put her foot in her mouth a lot. She could swear like a truck driver and could talk tough. But she was a complete softy inside and had the biggest heart. She smiled and laughed a lot. She wasn’t afraid to learn things and was good at working out puzzles and problems. In fact, she almost always knew the right way to do most things and didn’t hesitate to tell us. She liked giving orders – especially to Gene. She was excellent at geometry. She was a proud Dutchman and taught her children to also be proud Dutchmen (“If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much”). She was fiercely competitive. She looked great in purple. She loved good food, but was especially fond of pizza, steaks, Cheetos (which she ate with a spoon), and Dutch letters. She made the best pies and the best biscuits and gravy. Jo lived big and was all-in for everything in her life, but especially for the people in her life. They were always her priority. Jo died on February 1, 2025 surrounded by her husband and children and some of the people she loved most in the world. She is survived by her husband, Gene Everly of Cedar Falls; her children Paige Everly of Cedar Falls, Chadwick and daughter-in-law Sofie Everly of Waterloo, Derise (Everly) and her husband Mark Luna of Waterloo; great-nephew, Travis Bundy; grandchildren Lauren Vlasak, Georgia Vlasak, Dru Brown, Marcus Luna, Haylee Luna, Jakob Luna, and Reese Luna, plus five great grandchildren; her sisters Marilyn (Hol) Samson of Prairie City and Janet (Hol) VanKampen of Pella; her brother-in-law Steven and his wife Jeannie Everly of Knoxville; sister-in-law Anita (Everly) and her husband Kevin Hoch of Melcher-Dallas; her brother-in-law James Funk of Indianola; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, and countless too-many-to-be-named other family members and friends, who she loved like family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bert and Anna Hol; her in-laws, Lowell and Gladys Everly; her brothers, Delbert Hol, Richard Hol, and Kenny Hol; her brother-in-law Charles Samson; and her sister-in-law Diane (Everly) Funk. Our worlds will be a little less full without Jo in it. A little less fun. A little smaller because she isn’t here. We will mourn her big presence, her big energy, her big love. If she could have, she would have said to all of us, on her way out of this life, “Love you, babe.” And we would have said, “Love you back,” one more time. Her life and her love will be celebrated starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, February 7 with a Rosary at Richardson’s Funeral Home in Cedar Falls, followed by a visitation 4-7 p.m. A Catholic funeral service at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cedar Falls will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 8, followed by a luncheon at the church. That evening, family and friends are invited to gather at the Amvets Post 49 in Cedar Falls starting at 5 p.m. to share stories, laughter, and love together. Flowers are not necessary. Instead, the family ask you use those funds to make a memorial donation to Checker’s Stone Soul Picnic at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. You may also want to commit a random act of kindness, give a child in need a good coat or a Christmas present, or treat a friend to a good cup of coffee or pizza. These are all generous acts that brought joy to Jo’s life and it is the family’s wish to continue that joy in her memory.

Jo Everly

March 8, 1944 - February 1, 2025