Mary Jo Zwinger

Mary Jo Zwinger, 80, of Dimock, SD, died Saturday, November 25, 2023 at Avera St. Benedict Hospital in Parkston. Funeral Mass will be 10:30 AM Wednesday, December 6, at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Dimock. Burial will be at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, December 5, from 5-7:00 PM at the Church with a 6:30 PM prayer service. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.
Mary Jo Zwinger was born August 9, 1943, to Hubert and Josephine (Promes) Reifenrath in Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD. She grew up on a farm near Brookie Bottom, NE (about 17 miles from the SD border). She became a big sister to her brother, Daniel. Mary Jo attended St. James Catholic School until 8th grade, then graduated from Wynot High School in 1961. After graduation, she worked as a nurse aide at Sacred Heart Hospital for the next seven years.
Mary Jo was united in marriage to Wilfred Zwinger on June 11, 1966. To this union, two children were born, Janet and James. In 1976, the family relocated to the Dimock area. After her children were grown, she was employed by Northwest Vet Clinic in Parkston, and worked there for 17 years.
Mary Jo and Wilfred enjoyed traveling to Minnesota, Iowa (especially the Clay County Fair in Spencer, IA), Nebraska, North Dakota, and took several trips to the Black Hills. Mary Jo also enjoyed gardening, canning, cooking, baking (including bread), sewing, collecting church cookbooks, and embroidering dishtowels.
Mary Jo is survived by her husband, Wilfred; daughter, Janet (Tom) Dureske; and son, James.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Daniel; and sister-in-law, Mary Kerker.