Obituary of Doris Jacobs

Doris Bernd Jacobs, 97, Iowa City, died Sunday, April 23, 2006, at Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Iowa City. Memorial services will be held 4:30 pm, Saturday, June 17, 2006 at Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Iowa City, Iowa with the Reverend Kenneth Royar officiating. Graveside services will be held at 4 pm, prior to the memorial service, at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Iowa City. Memorials donations may be in her memory to the First United Methodist Church, Iowa City. Online condolences for Doris’ family may be sent through our website @ www.gayandciha.com. Doris Bernd Jacobs, retired Iowa City teacher, was born December 9, 1908, near Manson, Iowa, the daughter of John and Anna (Fuessley) Bernd. She grew up on a farm near Manson and taught rural schools in that area before attending Iowa State Teachers College where she earned her B.A. degree, receiving a Purple and Old Gold Award; she later earned the M.A. degree from the University of Iowa. She taught First Grade in Bloomfield, Iowa, then came to Iowa City where she taught at Roosevelt School and then at Longfellow School for many years. Her last two years of teaching were spent as Head Teacher of the Primary Unit at Helen Lemme School. Doris also taught 1st grade for 2 years at the Dependents School at the U.S. Army Base in Ulm, Germany. Doris was elected to membership in several national honorary educational organizations, including Kappa Delta Pi, Pi Lambda Theta, and Delta Kappa Gamma. She was active in various teacher and educational organizations and served as president of the Iowa City Teachers Association and the local chapter of the International Reading Association. In 1972 she was selected as the Iowa City Reading Teacher of the Year. She was a lifetime member of the University of Iowa Alumni association, the Iowa State Education Association and a member of the National Retired Teachers Association. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Iowa City, the United Methodist Women and Chapter AL of T.T.T. Doris married H. Lee Jacobs in 1967. He preceded her in death on July 24, 1996. Also preceding her in death were her parents, a brother, Roger, and sister, Lela. Doris' family include a sister-in-law, Etta Bernd of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; two nieces, Marsha Letsche of Hartford, South Dakota and Cheryl Olson of Chanhassen, Minnesota; two step-sons, Dr. Robert Jacobs of Macomb, Illinois and Dr. Richard Jacobs of Albany, New York; five step grandchildren and eight step great grandchildren.