On the afternoon of Thursday June 4th, 2026, Mary Jo entered the heavenly gates after suffering a severe heart attack and trying to fight her way through it, 12 days prior. Mary Jo was born on July 15, 1952, to her parents Earl and Regina Strange in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Throughout her life she had passions for many different things. In September of 1981, her and Jeffrey Crouch finally made it official after dating for a few years and giving birth to their youngest child Jessica Crouch. During life in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Mary Jo was the matriarch of the family, always having Thanksgiving and Christmas at her house. Making sure everyone was together somehow and in some way. During the months of the year 1996, life was going to drastically change. Her husband, Jeff was offered a job opportunity that was out of state. So, in November of 1996, Mary Jo, Jeff, and Jessica along with 2 cats and 2 dogs started their new journey in Northeast Louisiana where they built a life together. As time passed, Mary Jo did so much yard work and landscaping alongside Jake & Sterling the family's yellow and black labs! Mary Jo soon found a new passion going to work for Wal-Mart. That is where she dedicated nearly 18 years before having to retire early when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. After nearly 2 years of that battle, she triumphed going into remission cancer free and just one lung gone.

 That didn't stop her though, she found joy in baking and cooking alongside canning different things here and there. She NEVER allowed the current situation to define her! Which is where her daughter Jessica's love for the Wizard of OZ growing up and then the making of Wicked; Her daughter Jessica told her all the time since Wicked premiered and the song defying gravity played and it was about her! Mary Jo would smile so big every time her daughter said that! She truly stood by "defying gravity" for so many years and wonderful years at that! Mary Jo loved her life and what her and Jeff built together both in Wisconsin and Louisiana. She was preceded in death by her first-born daughter, Stacey J. Strange; her parents; and 2 brothers. Mary Jo married Jeffrey L. Crouch on September 11, 1981, after they recently welcomed their daughter a few months prior in May. After getting married, Mary Jo alongside Jeff began to build a life for themselves and begin a blended family. Mary Jo was the matriarch of the family and prided herself on trying to bring everyone together even if only the holidays. She also carried a love and passion for animals especially rescues. She opened a nonprofit animal rescue from her home and helped save countless lives of animals alongside finding safe loving homes to dogs up for adoption. She saved the lives of several hundred dogs over the years. Following the unexpected news for her lung cancer diagnosis and battle just over 12 yrs ago, she fought strong and beat the odds and going into remission several months later. After that and early retirement, she began to find love and interest in many different things. She truly loved her canning especially! Alongside her passion for baking. She found joy, happiness and comfort over the years that followed. Among her later years, she also developed a love for college football and women's college softball with the help of her husband, Jeff. She was a huge fan of the Texas Longhorns. She had a love and passion for the Minnesota Vikings as well alongside her oldest daughter, Stacey. She did step into a newfound love and passion for another NFL team! That team being the Kansas City Chiefs. She quickly grew into a fully dedicated Mahomes fan! She loved her hummingbirds and birds she watched from the patio door to the deck. She loved making pancakes and pb&j sandwiches for her deer and other critters with that being her fox pair and her butterball raccoons. Other hobbies in her life included her love and passion for ceramics (making, painting, and creating one-of-a-kind gifts for others). She had a strong love for canning, especially all her varieties of salsas along with her pickles and numerous jellies. She also loved her time on her tablet and scrolling Pinterest and creating new boards on there all the time for all her followers. She truly loved being in the kitchen in some form or another! 

 Mary Jo is survived by her husband Jeffrey Crouch of almost 45 years, her youngest daughter, Jessica Crouch (Eros, LA); mother-in-law, Jean St. Aubin of Appleton, WI; son, Brent (Jenny) Strange of Omro; grandsons, Chance and Tevin; her granddaughter, Alisha Strange and grandson Denham Worden both from Oshkosh, WI. Her siblings she leaves behind Nancy (Dave) Brehmer-Dreyer, Pat (Wanda) Strange, Dan Winkler, Dick (Debbie) Strange, Colleen (Kenneth) Alford. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews; her cat, Tiger; dogs, Sissy and Loopy; and her grand pups, Spud and Lucy. Those also close with Mary Jo and she considered them like her children that she built a bond and relationship with are Kristian Mathews of Live Oak FL. Jennifer Ann of Alberta Canada. Melissa Blevins of TN. James Rhodes of Alexandria, LA. 

 Special Thanks to the neighbors Josh Conville & family, Rich & Alisha Waldroup and family, Juanita & Bill Auttonberry & family.