Hemphill, Jeanette Franke

Jeanette Franke Hemphill, 78, died Sunday, March 27, 2011, at Colonial Manor of Amana. Funeral services: 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, Middle Amana Community Church, Middle Amana, with Elder Mike Shoup officiating. Burial will be in the Amana Cemetery. Visitation: 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Middle Amana Community Church, Middle Amana. Memorials may be contributed to the Amana Church Society, the Amana Library or the Amana Arts Guild. Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo, is in charge of arrangements.

Jeanette Franke Hemphill was born Sept. 17, 1932, in Amana, Iowa, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Erzinger Franke. She received her diploma in the Amana High School, as valedictorian of her class in 1950. She earned her B.A. degree at the University of Denver in 1953, and her M.A. at the University of Denver in 1956. She met her husband William E. Hemphill at the University of Denver, and they were married in Denver, Colo., on Aug. 11, 1956.

Before entering graduate school, Jeanette worked in the Reference Department of the Denver Public Library, which prompted her to get her Master's degree in Library and Informational Services. After graduation, she accepted a position with the University of Colorado Denver Campus, where she served in various capacities from 1956 to 2001, first as head librarian of the CU Denver library and finally as the associate director of the Auraria Library. In 1996, she received an award for exemplary service in libraries, and in 2003, she was awarded the University of Colorado medal for outstanding service to the University and the State of Colorado.

After her husband's death in 2000, Jeanette sold their house in Westminster, Colo., and in 2001, moved back to her ancestral home in Amana. She grew up and was confirmed at the Amana Church, which she rejoined at the move. Since her return to Iowa, she was active in a number of volunteer activities for the Amana Church, the Amana Arts Guild, The Heritage Agency on Aging, as a Hospice volunteer and trained for the Stephen's Ministry.

Jeanette is survived by her son, Tristan of Denver; her daughter, Joanna Vermace of Amana; three grandchildren, Elizabeth Langford, Elijah Binney and Riva Vermace; and one 2-year-old great-grandson, Canan Olson.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Duane; and her husband, Bill.

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