Josephine Mary McCauley, 90, of Merriam, Kansas, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2014.

She was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and was a life-long area resident, moving to Merriam, Kansas, at the time of the Kansas Centennial in 1961 and passing on Kansas Day of this year. The daughter of a milkman, she was a child of the depression and never achieved a dream of attending college. She did attend business school and honed skills that guaranteed employment. Her competence, devotion to a job well done and attention to detail allowed her to advance to positions beyond the clerical level.

She was a dutiful full-time mom in the 1950s and early 1960s. In 1968 she went to work for the City of Merriam as an Assistant City Clerk. She became the City Clerk in 1976. In 1983 she was named the City Administrator for Merriam, retiring in 1985. Upon retirement she was given a lifetime membership to the Merriam Chamber of Commerce for her service to the Merriam Community. Her love of Merriam and interest in its progress continued to the end.

In 1942, she met a young, brash G.I. named Earl (Mac) McCauley who had been sent to Kansas City by the Army Air Corps for training. They were soon separated by three and ½ years of Mac's distinguished service in World War II. Following his discharge, they were reunited and married in April 1946. Josephine and Mac's marriage lasted 65 years until Mac's passing in November of 2011.

Josephine is survived by son James of Lawrence, Kansas; son Daniel and wife Lisa of Peachtree City, Georgia; and daughter Kathy and husband Myron McCune DVM of Sutherland, Nebraska; seven granddaughters: Jamie McCauley Feldmeyer and Kathleen McCauley of Lawrence, Kansas, Gwynne McCauley of Springfield, Missouri, Paige McCauley of Peachtree City, Georgia and Jessica McCune Hatch, Josie McCune Lee of Kearney, Nebraska and Jennifer McCune of Omaha, Nebraska; one great granddaughter, Harper Hatch of Kearney, Nebraska; and a sister, Shirley McGhee of Bates City, Missouri.

Visitation and Funeral Mass

Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Monday, February 3, 2014, at St. Pius X Catholic Church, Mission, Kansas. Funeral Mass will follow at 11:00 am with burial in Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, Kansas.

Memorial Contributions

Contributions in memory of Josephine may be made to:

JohnPaul II Catholic School, 6915 W. 71st St., Overland Park, Kansas 66204

or

KU Audio-Reader, P.O. Box 847, Lawrence Kansas 66044