Mary Jo Gulick, 87, of LaMotte, IA completed her earthly journey on September 2, 2026, at home with family.

Private family burial will be held at a later date at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Leonard Funeral Home and Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Rd, Dubuque, is assisting the family.

Mary Jo was born on Jan 14,1939, in Story City, IA to Joseph Wirth and Vernie Weigel. She attended Thompson High School in Thompson, IA. While playing on their basketball team (Cubettes) they went undefeated and won their first conference championship. Mary Jo would say that you could win the game by drawing fouls and shooting free throws. She had won the Look Commendation Award 2 years in a row (1956 and 1957) and was named one of Iowa’s top players by sports writers of the Des Moines Register and Tribune. Look Magazine offered her employment, instead of accepting their offer she remained at home to help on the family farm.

On the family farm near Thompson, Iowa with her nine siblings there was always a lot of work and fun to be had.  Her favorite pastime was riding her horse “Chico”.  She would recall breaking the horse into a full gallop clocked at 50 miles per hour when racing alongside a couple of boys in a car.  One time when riding on the road, the twine that she used for reins broke on both sides forcing her to reach down and put her fingers in the holes of the bit and pull back to finally bring Chico to a stop just prior to a T intersection with a car coming stating “That was a close call, that horse loved to run.”

Mary Jo married William Gulick on August 23, 1958, in Forest City, IA and later moved to Dubuque, where they started a family and had six children.  She would eventually work as a respiratory therapist and retire from a career that spanned over 30 years.

She was a true pioneer woman, early entrepreneur, and a “Woman of all trades”. Tackling any project including, carpenter work, pouring concrete, landscaping, painting, remodeling, leather work on saddles, making candles to sell, refinishing furniture picked up at garage sales, mending clothes, quilting, needlepoint, and cross stitch. She loved animals and growing up at the Gulick house meant a fair share of pets including gerbils, guinea pigs, hedge hogs, canaries, fish, rabbits, a raccoon, horses, and dogs. She would say that growing up she didn’t have much so she liked to collect things, especially toys.

For many years she spent much of her free time on her 50-acre horse ranch and volunteering at Story Book Zoo in Dubuque. She also loved to take pictures and organize them into picture books.

She was involved in the beginnings of the Women’s Recreation Association in Dubuque and was a representative for the Women’s Recreation Assn Championship trophy for girls’ softball in 1972.

Some of our childhood memories included – First and foremost, God came first along with Church on Sundays. Then horseback riding and riding on the back of her bike, that had a basket on both sides and a pillow over the back wheel to sit on (since there was only one car). Chicken legs were used as teething rings.  She would wash walnuts in her washing machine before removing the meat. Made candles that we would sell at the mall and in the college dorms.  She would have garage sales often reselling things bought at garage sales years earlier. If something broke, she would fix it including removing the carburetor from her 544 International Tractor when in her 70’s. The end of the day would not come until the task was complete, working for hours on projects. She was an avid reader of western and true crime books, loved western movies especially Gunsmoke or any movies with Audie Murphy in them. She would contribute the arthritis in her first two crooked fingers to holding a hammer.  Well Mom, you can put down your hammer!

Those left to honor her memories include her Children: Teri (Patrick) Murphy, Joseph (Barb) Gulick, David (Shelley) Gulick, Lisa (George) Flanagan, Bill V. Gulick, Ben (Ashley) Gulick; 18 Grandchildren; several Great Grandchildren; Siblings: Cecil (Joann) Wirth, Faye (Don) Krueger, (Travis) Judy Peterson, Dennis (Linda) Wirth; Sister-In-Law, Barb Wirth, Debbie Wirth; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by parents: Joseph (Vernie) Wirth; husband William A. Gulick; brothers/sisters, Gerald (Phyllis) Wirth, LeRoy (Ellen) Wirth, Don (Juanita) Faust, Keith Wirth, John Wirth.

In lieu of flowers a Memorial has been established – Donations will be used to memorialize some of her favorite interests – animals/sports

Special thanks to Cecil and Joann for making those special trips to visit with mom and to Hospice of Dubuque (especially Jessica, Sarah, Elise and Ashley).