Fountain, Ethyle Marie Gorman

Ethyle Marie Gorman Fountain, 98, of Briarwood Health Care Center passed away peacefully Sunday, March 20, 2011. She was born Oct. 27, 1912, in Keswick, Iowa, to John Curran and Elizabeth (Neal) Gorman.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 25, at Lensing Funeral Home, 605 Kirkwood Ave., Iowa City. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the American Cancer Society or Camp Courageous.

Ethyle attended school in Onslow and Cascade, Iowa, and graduated from Keswick High School. In 1934, she married Howard I. Fountain and the couple farmed for several years in the Hills, Iowa, area until later moving to Iowa City in 1950. Ethyle then worked for the University of Iowa as a cashier at the Quad and the Iowa Memorial Union, until her retirement in 1978.

Ethyle enjoyed traveling and visiting family and friends and spending many winters in the warmth of Texas. She made it to 49 states in her lifetime. She also traveled to Alaska to spend time with her daughter and took a trip to Ireland with another daughter, where she kissed the Blarney stone. She was really proud of her Irish heritage. Ethyle and Howard also assisted many college students with housing by renting rooms at their Burlington Street house at an affordable rate.

Survivors include her two daughters, Charlene (Al) Rozinek of West Branch, and Phyllis (Steve) Black of Iowa City; a son, Michael (Cathy) of Iowa City; a sister, Dorothy Strong of O' Fallon, Ill.; 22 grandchildren; 39 great grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.

Ethyle was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; two sons, Tom and Pat; two daughters and sons-in-law, Marlene (Mike) Teymer and Glennys (Pat) O'Brien; two brothers, Neal and Richard; a sister-in-law, Delores Gorman; and two grandchildren, Paula Teymer and Kevin O'Brien.

Online condolences and memories may be left for the family at .