Kerri Lynn O’Meara passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 surrounded by her family. She was a beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, teacher, and friend to all.

She was born in Sioux City, IA to Rudolf and Eileen Wolf on May 20th, 1971. During her younger years, she took part in dance, cheerleading, choir, tennis, and musical theatre. She graduated from Sioux City East High School in 1989 and went on to attend the University of Iowa, graduating in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in Education, specializing in early childhood development. At Iowa, she was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority and the Newman Singers Catholic choir at the Newman Catholic Student Center.

During college, she also met and fell in love with her husband Mike while in a Methods of Chemistry class, and they were married on June 24, 1995 after two years of dating. After they were married, they moved to Clinton, IA to begin their careers in teaching. She taught 2nd grade at Jefferson Elementary before they moved to Indianola in 2001.

During her time with Indianola Community Schools, she taught kindergarten at Irving and Whittier Elementary, pre-school, and later became a substitute teacher. Kerri had a special gift for teaching. She always made her students feel heard, included, and loved. Her kindness and patience left a lasting impact on students, families, coworkers, and friends.

Kerri’s life centered around faith, family, and caring for others. She was a loving wife to Mike O’Meara and a deeply devoted mother to Ally, Bella, and Zach, who were the center of her world and the driving force behind her incredible perseverance through years of illness and treatment. Her two brothers, Jason and Trevor, always offered strength, encouragement and humor. From her parents, Eileen and Rudy, she learned hard work and to always look for connections in the small things.

For 15 years, Kerri courageously battled Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and the countless complications that followed. Through hospital stays, treatments, and uncertainty, she continued to fight with remarkable resilience. Her final mantra to her family was “You fight hard and finish strong.” Her greatest motivation was always her children and family. She fought hard to be present, celebrate special moments, and simply spend more time with the people she loved most.

Kerri’s social calendar was never empty. Her friends were like a second family. When she was not shopping or on the phone with friends, she attended multiple Bible studies, MOMS and MOPS groups, STARS, Coffee with Jesus, and Bunco nights. She loved being part of different friend groups, such as her Cooking Club, Birthday Club, and neighborhood activities. She also taught Religious Education and STAT classes for many years at St. Thomas Aquinas.

She loved her music. She always looked forward to her children’s choir concerts, show choir performances, dance recitals, and musicals. 107.1 Christian music station was on around the clock. She always said she liked to drive fast (5 miles over the speed limit) and sing loud to her tunes.

Kerri had a love for Iowa Hawkeyes and Pittsburgh Steelers football. She would look forward to every game, dressed head-to-toe in black and gold, swinging around that Terrible Towel and jumping up and down, cheering for her teams.

Kerri had such a positive outlook on life. She saw the good in each person and could talk to anyone for hours. Kerri had a love for pictures and capturing precious moments, mundane moments, and everything in between. She saw such beauty in people and the world around her. As much as we complained about all the photos, we are so grateful for all those memories we get to cherish forever.

With Saint Therese of Lisieux being her Confirmation saint, she emphasized living life “the little way”, making small, daily sacrifices with absolute love. She was always looking for little ways to brighten our days, whether it be a Starbucks run, mini shopping days (don’t tell Dad!), Burger King breakfasts, or any little gifts that made her think of her children or friends.

One of her great joys was planning and attending parties. It brought her great joy to make someone feel special. When it came to celebrations, no occasion was too big or small. She loved themed parties and wearing coordinated outfits for holidays. She also had an incredible memory, effortlessly recalling everyone’s birthdays, anniversaries, and names.

Three days before her passing, Kerri celebrated her 55th birthday with her whole family. We were gifted with the opportunity to make her feel special and loved. We danced, laughed, and had a spa day in the ICU. During the celebration, we danced to “Dancing in the Moonlight”, one of Kerri’s favorites. Those who knew her best find comfort believing she is now dancing freely in Heaven.

Her faith was her lifeline. She had a firm devotion to the daily rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and gratitude journaling. Kerri was known for being a prayer warrior for her community. She embraced the hardship of her illness as an opportunity to be a suffering servant for our Lord and offered up her pain for others in need.

She fought so hard to meet milestones for herself and her own children. She wanted to hold her granddaughter, attend future weddings, graduations, and birthdays. She now gets the joy of watching over those special moments from Heaven.

Kerri is survived by her husband, Mike O’Meara; her three beautiful children, Alexis “Ally” Drinan, Isabella “Bella” O’Meara, and Zachary “Zach” O’Meara; her mother, Eileen Wolf; her brothers, Jason (Janet) Wolf and Trevor (Kim) Wolf

She is preceded in death by her father, Rudolf Wolf, and grandparents Anges and Roy Danielson and Evelin and Adolf Hierlinger.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 28th from 4 to 7PM at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, beginning with a rosary at 4PM. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to help carry out Kerri’s final wishes privately.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, May 29th at 10:30AM at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, with burial following in the Indianola I.O.O.F. Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Please continue to keep the O’Meara family in your prayers during this difficult time.