Stoner, Jean Margueritte Minish

Jean Margueritte Minish Stoner, 91, died peacefully surrounded by her family Aug. 13, 2011, in her Mount Vernon home. Jean's funeral will be 11 a. m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon. Jean's visitation will be Wednesday from 5 until 8 p.m. at Morgan Funeral Choices, Mount Vernon. She will be buried next to her husband, Virgil; son, John; and granddaughter, Rachel, in Mount Zion Cemetery, rural Mount Vernon.

Jean was born March 18, 1920, in Cedar Falls, to Archie R. and Elva Voorhees-Minish, who operated a farm near Hudson. After moving to Mount Vernon in 1931, Jean graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1937 and from Cornell College in 1941, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in home economics education. She was married the same week, on June 12th, to Virgil Glenn Stoner, who farmed northwest of Mount Vernon.

Jean had a lifelong commitment to service and volunteering. Starting in the early 1950s, she coordinated 30 workers at the flu shot clinic in Mount Vernon that treated more than 1,200 people. In that same decade, she was instrumental in the establishment of a special education class at Mount Vernon Schools. She worked diligently to convince the superintendent and school board to provide an education for her eldest son John and others like him in the community, rather than sending them to Cedar Rapids or elsewhere. She also was a Cub Scout leader, chaired the PTA at the school, a 4-H judge, and active 4-H mother. As a grandmother, she volunteered for several years at the elementary school, giving various historical presentations, and she worked with children that needed extra reading help. Jean supported her grandchildren from the audience and bleachers for the various academic, artistic, and athletic events in which they participated in the Mount Vernon Schools.

Jean was a member and past leader of several organizations, such as Farm Bureau Women's Club, Social Circle Club, Antique Club, United Methodist Women, Federated Mount Vernon-Lisbon Women's Club, Iowa Mothers Association, and Make It Yourself With Wool to name a few.

At the age of 80, after participating in a church mission trip, she started and coordinated workers for a used clothing room at the Southeast Linn Community Center. Jean has used her sewing skills to produce thousands of baby quilts, lap robes and twin bed comforters for Smiles, Madge Phillips Center-Waypoint, Heart of Iowa, Camp Courageous, Birthright, Mercy Birthplace, St. Luke's Hospital and numerous nursing homes. In 1989, she received the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame Award from then Governor Terry Branstad. She was named Mount Vernon Citizen of the year, and in 2008 was given the Mount Vernon Alumni Service Award.

Because of her interest in history, she volunteered for several years at the Cedar Rapids History Center. She used this experience working and helping others to organize the Lisbon History Center, logging in excess of 800 hours. She wrote articles for the Sun newspaper regarding the history of Mount Vernon and Lisbon. Bring up any subject; Jean was able to give a great history lesson. Jean was the bookkeeper for the family farm until a few weeks before her death.

Jean is survived by four sons: Warren (Suzanne), their daughter Carmen (Ron) Sealock, and their children, Garrett and Hannah; Ray (Ann), their children, Caitlin (Ike) Mogbana, and their daughter, Maria, Elizabeth (Jacob) Cameron, Jonathan and Alice; David (Jo Ann), their children, Brad (Gabrielle) and their children, Samuel and Maciann, and Kyle (Jennifer) and their children, Skyler and Mya; and Dan (Cathy), their children, Kim, Vicki (Alan) Bausch and their children, Brooke, Grace and Caleb, Matt (Amy), Chris (Olivia) and Emily.

Preceding Jean in death were her parents; husband, Virgil; son, John; granddaughter, Rachel; sister, Ruth Meeker; and brother, George Minish.

Jean's energy and enthusiasm for life belied her 91 years. Her life belonged not only to her family, but the whole community. Her motto was “the harder I work the more I live.” She was greatly loved and will be truly missed.

In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials may be sent to: Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon School Foundation, Lisbon History Center and Rachel Ann Stoner Scholarship at Mount Mercy University.

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