IRIS JEAN HOWIE

Iris Jean (Wilson) Howie was born June 24, 1926 in the family home in Allendale, MO. She was the ninth of ten children of Bert and Bessie (House) Wilson and she preferred to be called Jean. Jean’s formal education ended at the end of eight grade when the high school was moved to Grant City, but her ability to outwork most people around her continued until she was 90.
A year following Virgil’s graduation from Redding High School, he and Jean were married on November 9, 1945. They moved with Virgil’s family to Fresno, CA and worked there for five years. In 1950, the families moved back to the Redding area to farm. While being the dedicated farm wife, Jean also raised and canned a big garden, raised lambs, fed, sorted and separated cattle and hogs and raised 100 to 150 chicks to butcher and freeze in the summer. She and Virgil also raised two sons, Lanny Dean and Terry Lynn, and one daughter, Kelly Dawn and assisted in caring for several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
In 2001, Virgil and Jean moved into town and Jean began working at the Ringgold County Child Care Center. She was dearly loved and called “grandma” by all the children and other caregivers she came in contact with. Jean worked as a caregiver there for over 10 years.
Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil in 2008, her son, Terry in 2008, and her son, Lanny in 2017. Also preceding her death were her parents, five brothers, Geiger, Sanford, Billy, Marvis “Bud” and Curtis, four sisters Mildred Rinehart, Lora Shipley, Beulah Deeken and Margaret Burnett as well as sister-in-law, Aleine (Sam) Taylor, brothers-in-law, Leroy (Joanne) Howie and Lowell (Alice) Howie.
Those left to cherish her memory include daughter, Kelly Schlager and husband, Myron, of Huntington Beach, CA, daughter-in-law, Fay Howie of Mount Ayr, seven grandchildren: Shannon (Bob) Hernandez of Jordan, MN, Adam (Abby) Howie of Boone, Megan Meyer of Newton, Alicia (Mike) Still of Corydon, Nathan (Jodi) Howie of Bondurant, Nolan (Terra) Howie of Kansas City, MO, and Devin (Lily) McLeod of Johnstown, CO, two step-grandchildren, Nichole (Aaron) Eckas and Danielle (Kevin) Lindesay, 16 great-grandchildren: Braylen and McKale Hernandez, Molly and Macy Meyer, Avery, Reece and Corbin Howie, Teya and Carter Still, Elliotte, Ava and Bennett Howie, Hadyn and Hudson Howie and Alexandra and Joana McLeod, two step great-grandchildren, Carter Baily and Avery Eckas, sister-in-law, Delores (Jim) Moody of Port Angeles, WA, sisters-in-law, Margaret Wilson and Donna Wilson, many special nieces and nephews and numerous friends.
Memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 21, 2020 at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr, IA.
Officiating will be Randy Drake and Sandy Crandel.
Honorary pallbearers will be Shannon Hernandez, Alicia Still, Devin McLeod, Adam Howie, Nathan Howie, Nichole Eckas, Megan Meyers, Nolan Howie and Danielle Lindesay.
Burial will be at a later time at the Redding Cemetery in Redding, IA.
Memorials are to the Redding Frontier Hall or Family Resource Center in Mount Ayr.