Mary Jo Benoit

She was born Mary Johanna Freund on September 6, 1944 in Memphis Tennessee which was indeed labor day for her mother, Dorithy Zeimes Freund. Her father, Raymond Freund was stationed there during World War II. She grew up and lived much of her early and later life in Faribault, MN. She was the second-born and the only daughter in a family with four boys. Mary Jo spent a lot of time caring for her younger brothers. In later years she would say, smiling, “All those boys!”

Mary Jo graduated from Bethlehem Academy in 1962. She earned her BA from St. Scholastica and a Master’s in Elementary Education in Mankato. Later she earned an MA in Human Resources from Azusa Pacific University and got a Media Specialist certificate from Mankato. For three years she lived in a convent in San Antonio, Texas. She taught elementary school in Hibbing, MN and in Oshkosh, WI.

Mary Jo met and married Thomas Leo Benoit from Benson, MN, a mechanic and bush pilot (June 29, 1972). Tom had advertised that he was looking for a wife who would want to go be a missionary with him in Irian Jaya/East Papua, Indonesia. They were married for 17 years and lived there; their four children were born there. Mary Jo and Tom were connected with the missionary community there and the Crosier community as well. Mary Jo taught at Sentani International School.

Tom died in a tragic plane accident in 1988 and Mary Jo and her kids moved to Faribault, MN to be near her family and start a new life. She was a single parent for 10 years and worked hard to make ends meet and support her four children. She was employed as a media specialist in Faribault (6 years) and in Prior Lake for over 10 years. She married Dennis Stadler (August 14, 1998) and they were together for 27 years until his death (May 13, 2025). They spent many happy years together, going to South Padre Island, TX in the winters and spending summer at the Cannon Falls Campground with many visits with their children and grandchildren. They both enjoyed yoga and water aerobics and going on long walks.

When Denny got suddenly ill and then died, Mary Jo moved to Vivie Care Suites of Edina in May, 2025 and lived with the community there until her death on September 5, 2026, a day before her 82nd birthday. She was a beloved resident and well-cared for by many of the staff there. She got many, many visits from her children and her brothers. She would always greet us with, “How WONDERFUL to see you!” and we always knew how much she delighted in us.

These are the things our mom enjoyed:

Reading story books to children, daisies and sunflowers, vanilla ice cream cones from Dairy Queen, fresh-made whole wheat bread, sunny days, fresh strawberries and blueberries and kiwis, clothing with bright colors and flowers; book clubs and books, spiritual reading, being outside in nature, going to Mass, learning, reading fiction, creating systems for organizing, Sudoku puzzles and jigsaw puzzles, sewing clothing, going on walks, doing a paper route on cold early mornings as a child and as an adult, long bike rides, playing with children, reading, camping.

Mary Jo was an adventurer and a woman of faith. Her decisions were guided by her belief in a loving God and her most frequent prayer was, “God, help us be aware of your Presence.” She had a wonderful sense of humor and could easily laugh at herself.

She is survived by her children:

Molly Perry (David Perry) and children Sam and Ollie.

Anna Burdett (Chris Burdett) and children Finch and Elyse.

Theresa Benoit (Jeb Sawyer) and children Frederick and Nyx.

Luke Benoit (Courtney LeClair) and children Leo and Gus.

Siblings:

Benet and Cheryl Freund

Tim and Peg Freund

Peter Freund

Sister-in-law Carol Freund

Many nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews

She is preceded in death by husbands Tom Benoit and later Dennis Stadler, brother Michael (Carol) Freund, parents Ray Freund and Dorithy Freund.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 AM at Church of the Holy Name (3637 11th Ave S, Minneapolis, 55407) on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The visitation will be one hour prior and there will be luncheon following the funeral Mass. For those who cannot attend in person, the funeral will be live-streamed at this site: Mary Jo Benoit Funeral Holy Name Church

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Girl Scouts or The River Bend Nature Center or to your local St. Vincent de Paul Society, all organizations that Mary Jo valued.