Obituary of MaryJane Griswold

MaryJane Griswold (Zaiser), age 65 of 1756 Gryn Drive, Iowa City died peacefully surrounded by her family at her home Tuesday, January 6, 2004. A celebration of her life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, January 10, 2004, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City with the Reverend Judy Gingerich officiating. Cremation services take place following these services with the remains to be buried at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City when the flowers are in full blossom. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 4 to 7pm. Memorial donations can be made in her memory to Iowa City Hospice, Grant Wood Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society. MaryJane Griswold (Zaiser) was born December 5, 1938, in Chicago, the daughter of Laurence and Susanna (Wilson) Griswold. She grew up in the Cedar Rapids area, graduating from Franklin High School in 1956, then went on to the University of Iowa where she earned her B.A. degree in speech pathology and audiology in 1964. Since 1990, she has been an insurance coordinator at Steindler Orthopedic Clinic in Iowa City. For many years, she and her family lived at 830 East College, located at the corner of College and Governor Streets. She tended for her garden that was the envy of many. After she moved from their home she shared the flowers and bulbs with others in this area, thus her garden will be with us for many years to come. To those who knew MaryJane, you knew her love forher pets. Another passion in her life was politics; she was active in the Democratic Party on the local, state and national level with special interest in the affirmative action sector. She served as State Chairman for Affirmation Action from 1992-1994. She was invited and she attended President Clinton’s inauguration and presidential ball. Her family includes her husband, Brent Henderson; her son and his wife, William “Breck” Zaiser and Jean of El Paso, TX; her daughters, Kerri Goff and her husband, Gary of Iowa City, and Darci Lussier and her husband, Rich of Chicago, MaryJane’s “adopted daughter” Jennifer Ueng and her husband, Charles of San Francisco, CA; sisters and their husbands, Donna and Tom Kluck of Cedar Rapids, and Sandra and Al Phillips of Denver, CO; brother and his wife, Victor and Margaret Griswold of Tampa, FL; grandchildren, Gannon, Jordan, Luci, Luke, Jesse, Dre, Ashton, and Kiah; step-children Jamie Henderson and his wife, Laura, and Josh Henderson and his wife, Melissa. She was preceded in death by her parents, and a grandson, Gunnar Zaiser. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for MaryJane’s family and her services.