On Wednesday, January 17, 2018 the world lost another great mother when Mary Jane (Baskerville) Duensing, 92, died at Linden Woods Village. A longtime resident of Kansas City North and the Briarcliff neighborhood, she passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer.

Mary Jane was born in her family's farmhouse in Bates County, Missouri on August 27, 1925 to Lucien and Lottie (Bailey) Baskerville.  She started her education in a one room school house near Appleton City, Missouri, and went on to attend Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg. She got to know her future husband, William Joseph (Bill) Duensing, riding the bus home from college, and in biology class where he would help the girls get their frogs for dissection out of the formaldehyde.  She entered nurses training at Kansas City General Hospital (now Truman Medical Center), and toward the end of her training, she joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corp. She and Bill were married in Kansas City on June 14, 1947.  They settled briefly in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and then several years in Boston while Bill served in the U.S. Navy.  She and Bill had six children:   Barbara Jeane, William Joseph Jr., Marjorie Sue, Martha Anne, Margaret Jane, and Mary Kathryn.  She was a loving mother with a sly sense of humor.   She devoted herself to her children's education, especially proud of the ones who never missed a day of school. She put many, many miles on the family cars getting each child to activities and events.

She was a good friend to many, especially her group of "birthday" girls.  They enjoyed entertaining at each other's homes and travelling together with their spouses.  Bridge was her game.  Mary Jane was a member of P.E.O. Chapter JK for 55 years, a member of the North Kansas City Hospital and Truman Medical Center Auxiliaries, a parishioner at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kansas City North, a Dame of the Holy Sepulchre, and a Daughter of the American Revolution.

Mary Jane is survived by her children, Barbara (Jim) Dean, Bill (Debby) Duensing, Margie (George) Block, Anne (Ed) Tessalone, Jane (John) Gumpert, and Mary Kay (Jeff) Lofland; 14 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren of whom she was very proud.  She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 67 years, Bill, her parents, Lucien and Lottie Baskerville, her sister, Betty Jeane Pasley, and her granddaughter, Sarah Dean.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Linden Woods Village and Crossroads Hospice for their kindness and care.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 22nd at St. Patrick Church, 1357 NE 42nd Terrace, Kansas City.  A rosary will be said at 11:30am with visitation from 12-1:15pm.  A funeral Mass will be at 1:30pm followed by interment at Resurrection Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Pius X High School; and PEO Chapter JK c/o Passantino Bros. Funeral Home.

Condolences may be offered at www.passantinobros.com