Watson, Jeanette MacLeod 1929-2011

WATSON, CLARK, MACLEOD, MANNING, MALEK, SMITH, BARNETT, WILLIS, BICKERT

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 6/13/2021 at 16:08:44

Jeanette MacLeod Watson
August 18, 1929 - March 28, 2011
Grinnell, Iowa

Jeanette MacLeod Watson, 81 of Grinnell and formerly of Parkersbug, died on March 28, 2011 at the Mayflower Community Health Care Center in Grinnell.

Funeral services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 8, at the Grinnell United Methodist Church with the Rev. Len Eberhart officiating. Pallbearers will be Dan Manning, Lisa and Danielle Malek, and Bill, Jeff, Julie and Robbie Smith. A family burial will be held at the Oakdale Cemetery in Parkersburg.

Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 7 at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 Thursday evening.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Kothe Memorial Library in Parkersburg; the Drake Library in Grinnell; or the United Methodist Church of Parkersburg or Grinnell.

Jeanette, the daughter of Margaret Caroline Clark and Dr. Hugh Gordon MacLeod, was born on August 18, 1929. She grew up in Greene, Iowa. Her parents had moved from Nova Scotia, Canada so her father could start a medical practice in Greene. Many family vacations were spent visiting relatives in Canada.

On August 23, 1951, Jeanette married Robert Watson of Parkersburg, Iowa. The couple had met at the University of Iowa where she received her BA in elementary education and studied speech pathology with some of the early specialists who were developing the field. After starting her family, Jeanette returned to graduate school at the University of Northern Iowa and earned her master's degree in speech pathology. For many years, she was a speech clinician in area public schools.

A devoted wife and mother, Jeanette had a broad range of interests. She was active in the United Methodist Church of Parkersburg and was the church pipe organist for many years. She participated in numerous community and civic organizations, including, the General Federation of Women's Clubs, P.E.O., the Parkersburg Library and the Girl Scouts of America. In recognition of her service to the community, she was named a 'Person of the Year' in Parkersburg. She was an avid reader and loved to travel, both with her family and, in later years, around the world on Elder Hostel tours. She was active politically, supporting and campaigning for several Iowa politicians. She enjoyed outdoor activities, including golf, swimming, and gardening. Jeanette and Bob moved to the Mayflower Community in Grinnell in 2001.

Jeanette is survived by three daughters and two sons-in-law, Janet Watson and Dan Manning of Ellicott City, MD, Nancy Malek of Lake Worth, FL, and Sally and Bill Smith of Grinnell; five grandchildren, Lisa and Danielle Malek and Jeff, Julie, and Robbie Smith; two sisters, one sister-in-law and three brothers-in-law, Peg and Bill Barnett of Cortez, FL, Emily and Ray Willis of Elizabethtown, KY, and Sally and Rod Bickert of Sheboygan, WI. She was preceded in death by her husband and parents. ~ The Des Moines (IA) Register 03 April 2011.