Jane Ellen O’Brien, 17 Apr 1945 - 21 Oct 2012

OBRIEN, MILLER, KENNEL, BANWART, KEILIN, SHERMAN

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 11/2/2012 at 16:25:51

Jane E. O’Brien, 67, wife of Ed O’Brien of Iowa City, died Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, at Highland Ridge Senior Living Community following a long battle with dementia. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, with burial to follow at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 pp.m. today at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Jane’s memory to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), Alzheimer’s Research or The Essence of Life Hospice in Amana.

Online condolences can be sent for Jane’s family through the web at www.gayandciha.com.

Jane Ellen Miller was born April 17, 1945, in Iowa City, the daughter of Glenn and Marjorie Miller. She attended schools in Iowa City, graduating from City High School in 1963, she then attended Northern Illinois University, returning to Iowa City to the University of Iowa where she graduated in 1968 with a degree in Physical Education along with her teaching certificate. She was united in marriage to Ed O’Brien on Aug. 1, 1964 at the Sharon Center United Methodist Church.

Before her children were born, she was a substitute teacher in the Iowa City Community School District. Upon arrival of their first child, Sara, and later Jack and Alex she devoted the best years of her life being Mom. She was always there supporting them in all their school activities and beyond! Her family would take vacations to Florida, something Jane so looked forward to spending time with more family. Jane had many interest and passions; her gardens, especially her flowers; doing craft projects, decorating for the holidays was not only something she enjoyed, but something she did with ease and beauty.

She was an active member of the Sharon Center United Methodist Church and loved the bridge groups she belonged to. As Mom, she was always in the kitchen cooking and baking for her family, she took her talents to a new level after her children were out of the home. She was co-founder the Cookies & More stores in Iowa City. Her recipes, her sweat and her passion for making the best cookies she knew how, and sharing them with generations of folks who stopped at their stores in either of the Iowa City malls for some 20 years. It started as a family business and continues to this day as her family continues what she and her family started years ago.

Her family includes her husband, Ed; their two sons and families, Jack and his wife, Jennie and their three daughters, Lily, Audrey and Katie, and Alex and his wife, Angie and their two children, Harper and Calvin; Jane’s mother, Marjorie Miller of Sharon Center; Jane’s three sisters, Linda Kennel (Russ) of Rock Island, Mary Jo Banwart (Barney) of Ames and Kim Keilin of Aspen, Colo.; and Jane and Ed’s son-in-law, Brooks Sherman of Kansas City.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sara O’Brien Sherman; and her father, Glenn Miller.

Published in The Gazette Oct. 24, 2012.