Verna Mayer, 97 of Carroll, died Saturday, July 26, 2025 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, July 31, 2025 at Holy Spirit Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Allan Reicks. Concelebrant will be Fr. Gary Snyder. Music will be by Kathy Halbur. Gift Bearers will be Elizabeth Mata, Marita Stapleton, and Kathryn Stapleton. Eucharistic Minister will be Judy Mayer. Casket Bearers will be Verna’s family. The Carroll Catholic Daughters of the Americas will form an honor guard for the Funeral Mass. Burial will be at 1 p.m., Thursday in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Willey.
A visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll with a rosary at 6 p.m. by the Carroll Catholic Daughters of the Americas. Additional visitation will be from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Thursday at the church. Memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church for a later designation.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Verna’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Verna was born on March 14, 1938 in Halbur, Iowa the daughter of Frank and Rose (Drees) Wittrock. She had many fond memories of growing up on the family farm and attending local dances and socials. In 1948, she married Leo Mayer and raised four children. Verna and Leo ran ‘Mayer’s Tavern’ from 1959-1971. After her husband’s death, Verna worked in the St. Anthony Hospital dietary department for more than 25 years. After retirement, Verna volunteered at the Saint Anthony Hospital gift shop, New Hope Village store, RSVP and sewed hundreds of quilt tops for the missions.
Thanks to Verna, the Mayer household in Willey was a hub of hospitality. Elaborate breakfasts after midnight Mass on Christmas, Sunday evening pizza, fried donuts, and angel food cakes for birthdays were long-held traditions. The fried chicken at Mayer’s Tavern was a favorite for miles around. Our friends were always welcome to visit, and mom’s home was always open to guests. Even as her hearing failed in her later years, she was always happy to see someone walk through the door.
Verna is lovingly remembered by her three surviving children, Jerry Mayer and wife Debbie of The Villages FL, Anna Mae Mayer of Newport Rhode Island, Susan Stapleton her husband Joe and children, Marita and Kathryn of Indianapolis, Indiana; her son-in-law, Michael Pierce and his daughter, Elizabeth Mata; her great-grandson, Santiago Mata; two brothers, Harold Wittrock and Romen (Verena) Wittrock; her sisters-in-law, Arlene Wittrock and Veronica Quandt; as well as other extended relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Leo; her daughter, Irene Pierce; her siblings: Lucina (Wilbur) Truhe, Fred (Lucille) Wittrock, Regina (Clarence) Reineke, Robert Wittrock, Elvera (Andrew) Daniel; and her sister-in-law, Joann Wittrock.
