Obituary of Jeanne Phillips

Jeanne Phillips, age 99 longtime resident of Iowa City died Monday, May 20, 2024, at Legacy Point Assisted Living in Iowa City.

Jeanne (Verna Jean) Joslin Phillips was born on March 28,1925, in Anamosa, Iowa to Roy M. and Verna Hazen Joslin. She graduated from Clarence High School and went on to attend Iowa State University. Jeanne met her husband Earl in junior high on a bus trip to summer camp. They married on December 7,1944, and farmed for eight years on Earl’s Dad’s farm in Oxford Junction before moving to Anamosa where Earl began his career with Farm Bureau Insurance as an agent in Jones County.

Jeanne and Earl served as leaders of the senior high school youth at the Anamosa United Methodist Church.  She was serving as President of the United Methodist Women when they moved to Muscatine in 1952 where Earl began his Farm Bureau Insurance career as an Agency Manager. In 1960 Jeanne and Earl moved to Iowa City when Earl was selected to be the Agency Manager for the Johnson County Farm Bureau. They joined as charter members of the newly formed St. Mark’s United Methodist Church where Jeanne actively demonstrated her commitment and leadership as a  volunteer and as President of UMW as well as the first woman chair of the Administrative Board. Jeanne served as President of the Mercy Hospital Guild Board and weekly volunteer and as a University Hospital volunteer for decades. Jeanne was a member of PEO KZ chapter and enjoyed the continuing friendships and fellowship found while serving.

Jeanne survived Earl, who died on May 27, 2022.  They have four sons: Steve of Cedar Rapids, Dave (Bonnie) of Colorado Springs CO., Jon (Jane) of Winnetka, Ill. and Mark (Terise) of Highlands Ranch, CO.;  seven grandchildren, Heather, Ashley, Matt, Jessica, Sean, Paul and Madeline; and ten great grandchildren: Isiah, Mathias, Jeramiah, Hadassah, Margaret, Bryson, Teddy, Chase, Julian and Collier.

Jeanne created a beautiful legacy of faith, love, family and commitment in her long life and passed that on to the future generations of the Phillips family and those that knew and loved her.

Memorial services will be held at 1pm Friday, May 31, 2024, at St. Mark’s United Church in Iowa City, where there will be a time of visitation from 11:30 am till service time at the church.  Following services a time of fellowship will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the church.  Private family graveside services will take place at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Oxford Junction.  In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (2675 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52245) in care of the Jeanne Phillips United Women of Faith, Free Lunch Program.