Jean Monserud
Jean A. Monserud, 89, of Waukon passed away peacefully of natural causes Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services were held Saturday, December 5 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Rev. Lynn Groe officiating. Burial was held in Monona City Cemetery in Monona.
Jean Ardyce Monserud was born May 12, 1926 to Herbert and Elnora (Jahnke) Schmidt on the family farm near Garnavillo in rural Clayton County. When Jean was seven her parents began farming near Waterville. Jean graduated from Waukon High School in 1942. She next attended normal training school in Waukon and studied teacher curriculum, which she completed in 1944.
Jean married Wesley Monserud April 2, 1945 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Garnavillo, where she was baptized June 26, 1926 and confirmed March 17, 1940.
Jean took her first teaching position at age 17 at Figge School, a one-room school house in Allamakee County. She taught at other one-room schoolhouses in Allamakee County, including the Sixteen School. As the state of Iowa closed one-room schoolhouses, she began teaching at MFL Schools in Monona in 1960 until her retirement in 1988. She taught first and third grade at MFL and especially enjoyed teaching mathematics.
While still teaching, Jean took evening and summer courses and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977 from Upper Iowa University. Jean was a dedicated teacher who was always thinking of creative ways to enhance lessons for her students. She especially enjoyed teaching the Native American history unit each year.
Jean and Wesley initially farmed with Wesley’s parents near Harpers Ferry. Later they moved seven miles northeast of Monona, where they farmed for over 50 years. In addition to teaching, Jean was a hard-working farm wife, helping with farm work, gardening, canning, baking, and raising six children.
Jean was a voracious reader who loved learning, an enthusiastic quilter, creating quilts for each of her children and grandchildren, and she enjoyed attending auctions. After retirement in 1988, Jean and Wesley enjoyed winters in Arizona together. She loved hiking in the Arizona desert and she became an avid golfer, even getting a hole-in-one. Jean continued wintering there until 2011. Jean and Wesley were avid travelers and she visited all 50 states as well as taking tours on six of the seven continents. Her favorite city to visit was London, England.
Survivors include her six children: Gary (Ann Jones) Monserud of Concord, MA, Vicki (Curt) Welch of McGregor, Bruce Monserud of Gainesville, FL, Clay (Adele) Monserud of Iowa City, Patti (Dr. Terry) Jackson of Harbor Springs, MI and Scott (Cindy) Monserud of Aurora, CO; 14 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; her brother, Herbert “Bud” (Kathy) Schmidt of Waterville; and her brother-in-law, Francis Martin of Waukon. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Wesley, in February 2000; and her sister, Janet Martin.
Honorary casketbearers were Jean's grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Casketbearers were Duncan Monserud, Alex and Sam Jackson, Jeff and Kyle Graves, Brett Kemp and Dave Hansmeier.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
