Gregory, Vergene M.

Vergene M. Gregory, 81, of Coralville, died Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. The family will greet friends Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lensing's Oak Hill in Coralville. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Lensing's Oak Hill. Pastor Donald Hodson will officiate. Private burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Coralville.

Vergene was born Dec. 23, 1929, in Sioux City, and grew up in Des Moines. She graduated from East High School in Des Moines and married Donald Gregory on May 14, 1948, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Des Moines. The couple moved to the Iowa City /Coralville area in 1948 to raise their family.

She worked as city treasurer of Coralville from 1961-1962 and later worked for Iowa State Bank & Trust Co. Vergene then worked in the University of Iowa Hospitals Opthamology Department as a electron microscopist with Dr. Tom Weingeist, retiring in 1986. She and her husband owned and operated Gregory Properties.

Vergene and her husband were true to supporting their community and were contributors to the Coralville Public Library. She also served on the committee with the Parks & Recreation Department for the first city swimming pool. Recently, they purchased chairs in support of the new Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.

She was a member of the Des Moines East High Alumni Association, of which they sponsored a scholarship fund, and the Iowa Alumni Association. She was active with the Iowa City Senior Center and a member of Red Hat Ladies. Vergene and her husband were strong Iowa Hawkeye fans.

She is survived by her husband, Don; daughters, Debbie (Dale) Mitchener of Heeney, Colo., Lynn (Bob) Snyder of Coralville and Janet (Bob Ravn) Gregory of Anchorage, Alaska; brother, Jim Green of Escondido, Calif.; sister, Beth of Fairbanks, Alaska; sisters-in-law, Phyllis Hayes of Tacoma, Wash., and Mary Jo (Ken) Schlecht of Rochester, N.Y.; brother-in-law, Chuck (Betty) Gregory of Holyoke, Mass.; and

grandchildren, Michelle (Don) Nichols of Coralville and their children, Kiera and Kelsey, Abby Marie Ravn of Iowa City, Beth Snyder of Coralville, Stuart Ravn of Anchorage and Scott Snyder of Coralville.

Vergene was preceded in death by her parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Coralville Volunteer Fire Department.

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Published Oct. 16, 2011, in The Gazette