Jeanne Strothman
September 11, 1932 — September 2, 2016
Margaret “Jeanne” Chaffee Strothman, 83, passed peacefully, September 2, 2016, in Paradise Valley, AZ, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, September 16, 2016, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion, IA, conducted by Deacon Laverne Flagel. A reception will be held at Hunters Ridge Lodge in Marion following the service. Burial will be held at Oak Shade Cemetery, Marion, IA, Saturday, September 17, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. and Shinar Cemetery, rural Pleasant Grove, IA, at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, September 17, 2016.
Jeanne is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Maxwell “Max” Strothman; parents, Hulda Ingram Chaffee and Dempster Darius Chaffee and brother, James Chaffee (WWII).
Jeanne is survived by her brothers, John Chaffee (Elizabeth, dec’d) of Nisswa, MN and Jerome Chaffee (Mary) of Marion, IA; children, Jane Strothman Karbouzian (Antoine) of Scottsdale, AZ, Barbara Strothman Rustad (Mark) of Plymouth, MN and Charles Martin Strothman (Laura), of Anthem, AZ; grandchildren, Maxwell Eliott Rustad, Bennett Martin Rustad, Brett Alison Gaertner, Charles Maxwell “Chase” Strothman; and step-grandchildren, Andre, Nercess and Giovanni Karbouzian.
Jeanne was born September 11, 1932, in Des Moines, IA, where she was a graduate of Roosevelt High School; she went on to attend Iowa State College, in Ames, IA. In the fall of her first year at Iowa State and while attending a freshman mixer, Jeanne met the love of her life when a junior, Max Strothman, crashed the party by climbing over a fence. Jeanne and Max were married January 21, 1953. Their 51 years of marriage started, first, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, as Max served in the U. S. Army, then on to a short stint of farm life in Mt. Pleasant/New London, Iowa. As Max embarked on a fast track of jobs within the A. O. Smith Harvestore business and several Iowa cities, Jeanne and Max settled, finally, in 1958, in Marion, IA. That same year, Jeanne and Max received word that Max was to have his own Harvestore dealership. Having just poured the foundation to a new home, Jeanne proclaimed that a commute back and forth to Frake and Strothman, Inc. in Iowa City, IA, would have to replace yet another move. So, it was there, in Marion, that Jeanne and Max built their lives with their children Jane Ann, Barbara Sue and Marty.
Jeanne was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, New Comers, OOP, PEO, Friends of the Marion Public Library and her favorite, “Lunch Bunch”. Jeanne was a voracious reader of books, loved music, enjoyed golf, gave her time and talent to the historic Granger House, Linn-Mar High School Library, Linn County Humane Society and partook in many artistic endeavors that often filled the Strothman basement with laughs, crafts and girlfriends. Together, Jeanne and Max enjoyed travels to Hawaii, Canada, The Bahamas, Morocco, Sweden, Norway and most of the European countries as well as wintering in Phoenix, AZ.
Jeanne had a warm, welcoming way with everyone she came in contact with or met. She had a true interest in people (friend or stranger). She will be remembered for her beautiful smile, her charm, her vast knowledge of just about anything and her love and pride of being an Iowan.
Expressions of sympathy can be sent to the Cedar Valley Humane Society.
Jeanne is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Maxwell “Max” Strothman; parents, Hulda Ingram Chaffee and Dempster Darius Chaffee and brother, James Chaffee (WWII).
Jeanne is survived by her brothers, John Chaffee (Elizabeth, dec’d) of Nisswa, MN and Jerome Chaffee (Mary) of Marion, IA; children, Jane Strothman Karbouzian (Antoine) of Scottsdale, AZ, Barbara Strothman Rustad (Mark) of Plymouth, MN and Charles Martin Strothman (Laura), of Anthem, AZ; grandchildren, Maxwell Eliott Rustad, Bennett Martin Rustad, Brett Alison Gaertner, Charles Maxwell “Chase” Strothman; and step-grandchildren, Andre, Nercess and Giovanni Karbouzian.
Jeanne was born September 11, 1932, in Des Moines, IA, where she was a graduate of Roosevelt High School; she went on to attend Iowa State College, in Ames, IA. In the fall of her first year at Iowa State and while attending a freshman mixer, Jeanne met the love of her life when a junior, Max Strothman, crashed the party by climbing over a fence. Jeanne and Max were married January 21, 1953. Their 51 years of marriage started, first, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, as Max served in the U. S. Army, then on to a short stint of farm life in Mt. Pleasant/New London, Iowa. As Max embarked on a fast track of jobs within the A. O. Smith Harvestore business and several Iowa cities, Jeanne and Max settled, finally, in 1958, in Marion, IA. That same year, Jeanne and Max received word that Max was to have his own Harvestore dealership. Having just poured the foundation to a new home, Jeanne proclaimed that a commute back and forth to Frake and Strothman, Inc. in Iowa City, IA, would have to replace yet another move. So, it was there, in Marion, that Jeanne and Max built their lives with their children Jane Ann, Barbara Sue and Marty.
Jeanne was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, New Comers, OOP, PEO, Friends of the Marion Public Library and her favorite, “Lunch Bunch”. Jeanne was a voracious reader of books, loved music, enjoyed golf, gave her time and talent to the historic Granger House, Linn-Mar High School Library, Linn County Humane Society and partook in many artistic endeavors that often filled the Strothman basement with laughs, crafts and girlfriends. Together, Jeanne and Max enjoyed travels to Hawaii, Canada, The Bahamas, Morocco, Sweden, Norway and most of the European countries as well as wintering in Phoenix, AZ.
Jeanne had a warm, welcoming way with everyone she came in contact with or met. She had a true interest in people (friend or stranger). She will be remembered for her beautiful smile, her charm, her vast knowledge of just about anything and her love and pride of being an Iowan.
Expressions of sympathy can be sent to the Cedar Valley Humane Society.
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