OSAGE — Lori Jo Mark, a musician, local history enthusiast and devoted mother who recently welcomed her first grandchild, died Sunday, August 30, 2026, at her home in Osage. She was 70.
A rosary will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday, September 4, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Osage. Visitation will follow from 4 to 6 p.m.
Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 5, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with visitation beginning one hour before the service. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery, with a luncheon afterward.
Lori Jo Krones was born August 20, 1956, to Dean and Florence Pint Krones. She attended Sacred Heart Catholic School through the eighth grade and graduated from Osage High School in 1974.
Music became an important part of Lori’s life at a young age. She belonged to the Osage Precisionnaires, the community’s well-known drum and bugle corps, and maintained friendships with fellow members for decades. Precisionnaires reunions remained special occasions for her.
Lori played the saxophone and piano and shared her talents with her church by playing the organ during her school years.
She later attended La’James College in Mason City, earning a cosmetology degree. Lori worked at Style-Mor salon in Osage and kept her cosmetology license throughout her life.
Lori married John Mark on June 17, 1989, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Their son, Adam, was born June 6, 1990. Motherhood became one of the most meaningful parts of Lori’s life, and she remained an enthusiastic supporter of Adam’s activities and interests.
In 1996, Lori began working as a sales consultant for Morton Buildings. She developed lasting relationships with customers and construction crews while helping bring projects from ideas to completed buildings.
Even after retiring in 2017, Lori proudly remembered the structures she helped make possible. When traveling past one of her projects, she was known to point toward it and declare, “I sold that!”
Retirement gave Lori more opportunities to explore her many interests. She enjoyed bus excursions, historical destinations and community events. Genealogy and family research were particular passions, as were the Mitchell County Historical Society and the Cedar Valley Memories Power Show west of Osage.
Lori served as lay director on the Sacred Heart Cemetery Board and took special care in preserving family history and honoring those who came before her. Each Memorial Day, she decorated relatives’ graves with special picture rocks featuring their ancestors.
Her patriotism was reflected through her lifetime membership in Osage VFW Auxiliary Post 7920 and her membership in American Legion Auxiliary Unit 278.
Lori also had a tender place in her heart for animals. Her beloved Kes Kitty frequently appeared in the photographs she shared. Her son and daughter-in-law’s dogs, Henry and Tyson, were affectionately called “Grandma’s Boys.”
A long-awaited joy arrived June 4, 2026, when Adam and Aimee welcomed Lori’s first grandchild, Isaiah Mark. Becoming a grandmother brought Lori tremendous happiness. Although she had less than three months with Isaiah, she treasured the moments they shared.
Lori is survived by her son, Adam and Aimee Gonzalez Mark; grandson, Isaiah Mark; Adam’s father, John Mark; mother, Florence Krones; brothers Larry and his wife, Karen Krones, and Lennis and his wife, Betty Krones; nieces and nephews Karla and her husband, Ryan Howell, John and his wife, Tammy Krones, Magen and her husband, Anthony Fonzone, and Will Krones; her friend, Dean Wright; her cat, Kes Kitty; Henry and Tyson; and numerous extended family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her father, Dean Krones, and nephew, Jason Krones.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Mitchell County Historical Society or the Celiac Disease Foundation.
Hoff Celebrations-Champion Chapel of Osage is caring for Lori and her family. To read the complete obituary, plant a memorial tree or leave a remembrance, please click here.
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