Jeanne Jennings Obituary

In loving Memory of Jeanne Carol (Stevens) Jennings

Jeanne Jennings of Johnston Iowa, entered eternal life on August 23, 2025. Jeanne was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 10th, 1932, at St. Joseph’s hospital to Kathleen (Suttle) and Joseph Robert Stevens. Jeanne was the youngest of their three children, brother Stanley, and sister Virginia (Vetter). The family moved to Des Moines, IA where her grandfather, Rev. Minor Stevens, was a Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, located on East 9th and Des Moines Streets. Jeanne was Baptized at Calvary Baptist by Rev. Stevens at the age of 11 in 1943. Jeanne loved Jesus and followed him into the communion of the Holy Catholic Church on August 18th, 2023, at St Mary of Nazareth Parish.

Jeanne attended Webster Grade School, Amos Hiatt Jr. High, graduated from East High (‘51) and attended Iowa State University. At ISU Jeanne joined the KAPPA DELTA sorority and studied Home Economics. While attending ISU she met her future husband, Ralph Lee Jennings, a Civil Engineering student and Airforce ROTC.

Ralph (ISU ’53 Eng) and Jeanne were married at Calvary Baptist on August 15th, 1953, and after a short honeymoon in Clear Lake, IA Ralph reported for Duty to the Airforce. Commissioned in New Jersey during the Korean war, together they moved to Morocco North Africa where Ralph was responsible for Airforce communications over the Western Mediterranean.

Upon completion of military service, Jeanne and Ralph moved to Des Moines IA where Ralph joined the family business known in those days as Economy Forms Corporation, today EFCO.

Jeanne loved to entertain family and friends, attend church, and was an expert seamstress - sewing nearly all of her children’s clothing. Jeanne appreciated art, scrapbooking, antiques, gardening, canning, and keeping her children in sports and community service.

Jeanne and Ralph farmed in Madison County with 150 head of red angus cow/calf operation spread over 1,000 acres. Together they built a home in Johnston, IA (1986), which was her haven, her pride and joy.

Jeanne is survived by daughters Susan Jennings of Urbandale, Cindy Jennings of Seattle, Diane Jennings of Windsor Heights IA, with Jeanne’s grandchildren Nathan, Chelsea (great grandchild Charlotte), Jessica (husband Zach and great grandchildren Mariah, Max), Rebecca, Nicholas, Rachel, Joshua. Also survived by son Paul (wife Kathryn) Jennings of Winthrop, WA, with Jeanne’s grandchildren Madison (husband Max) Larsen (Great grandchildren Audrey, Johanna, Eleanore, John Paul and Charles), and Isabel Jennings (MO), and William Jennings (WA). Jeanne is preceded in death by her husband Ralph (1988), parents Joseph Robert and Kathleen Stevens, brother Stanley, and sister Virginia Vetter (CA).

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Gideon's International.

To view the livestream of the funeral mass please visit: https://www.youtube.com/live/Umls7gHiR18?si=xDJR93-WEBP-vuEB

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