Jean Griswold

Barbara “Jean” Griswold, age 97, of Savanna, IL, passed away Saturday, December 3, 2022 at Alverno Skilled Care Center, in Clinton, IA, after a brief stay. A funeral service will be held Saturday, December 10, 2022 at First Presbyterian Church, in Savanna, at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held Friday, December 9, 2022 at Law Jones Funeral Home, in Savanna, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., as well as from 10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. at the church on Saturday. Burial will take place at Savanna Township Cemetery.

Jean was born and raised on a farm in Northwest Iowa, the youngest of five brothers and two sisters. She fondly remembered her brothers sitting around a radio listening to baseball games, trading eggs for piano lessons, and that her mother preferred to hitch up a team of horses over driving a car. She met her future husband Gerald in 1945 while attending Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI). He was still in the Navy helping with the decommissioning of the WAVS training school as WW2 was coming to a close. They married and lived in Minneapolis before moving on to Chicago where Jerry worked in Union Station for the Milwaukee Road railroad. Jean also worked for a while in Union Station as well as Marshall Field’s before starting her teaching career in Bensenville, IL.

Jerry had an opportunity to move back to Savanna and continue work on the railroad and Jean started teaching fulltime at Avenue School. They made lasting relationships with many of the faculty and administrators. Once they started their family, Jean transitioned to being a fulltime mom and substitute teacher in the Savanna school system. As her kids grew older, she became a Cub Scouts den mother and enjoyed attending their musical activities and performances. Jean taught Sunday School classes at the First Presbyterian Church and was active in the church choir and the Presbyterian Women’s group. When grandchildren and great grandchildren began to arrive, she loved spending time with each new member of the family.

Jean and Jerry loved to travel, frequently visiting Northern Wisconsin and Colorado as well as relatives in Iowa, Indiana, California, Louisiana and Nebraska. Jean adored and spoiled all four of Jeff’s dogs. She was his doggy daycare while he was at work and the dogs kept her company and helped her stay active and young. She was a very strong and independent person throughout her life, driving her car until the age of 86 and taking care of all business transactions until age 94. She was a great communicator (cards, phone calls) remembering birthdays and anniversaries.

Jean is survived by two sons and one daughter: Jay (MaryAnn) Griswold of St Charles, Illinois; Jeff Griswold of Savanna; and Judy (Mark) Rehm of Pine, Colorado. She has six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She was proceeded in death by her husband Jerry in February 2002.