Jay W. Simmons (1928-2019)

SIMMONS, PEYTON, STRANG

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 7/25/2019 at 08:40:50

JAY W. SIMMONS
Walker

Jay W. Simmons, 91, of Walker, Iowa, died on Monday, July 22, 2019, at his home in rural Walker.
Jay was born Jan. 26, 1928, the son of Milo A. and Helen (Peyton) Simmons. He attended Troy Mills Country Schools in rural Troy Mills. As a child and young man, he worked on the farm of his grandparents, Jake and Mame Peyton. There he learned a strong work ethic and how to treat people with respect. On June 26, 1950, he married Shirley Ann Strang at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Walker, and for a short time they made their home in Winthrop, Iowa. In 1956, they purchased a farm in rural Walker. There they raised their four children and taught them the same ethics that they grew up with.
His family was his world. For many years he helped his children raise cattle to compete in 4-H. They often would take long Sunday drives as a family throughout Eastern Iowa. More recently, he and his son Jake would stop by the Casey's General Store in Urbana to meet up with a coffee group.
Jay is survived by three children: Jeanie (Roger) Sturtz, Urbana, Iowa, Barbara Simmons, North Wales, Pa., and Jake Simmons, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; two granddaughters, Peggy Sturtz, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Amelia (Jonathan) Fink, Lansdale, Pa.; two great-grandchildren, Carter and Carson Colson; a brother-in-law, Bruno Lensing, Mesa, Ariz.; many nieces and nephews; and special friends who helped take care of him, Janice Morris and Lisa Curry.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Milo and Helen Simmons; his wife, Shirley Simmons; a son, Anthony Simmons; an infant daughter, Elizabeth Simmons; and a sister, Lois Anne Lensing.
In lieu of flowers, please direct memorials to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105 or to Mercy Hospice of Cedar Rapids, IA 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 27, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Walker with the Rev. Jim Brokman presiding. Burial will be held in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7:30 p.m. with a Rosary at 4 p.m. and a wake service at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 26, at the Reiff Family Center Funeral Home in Winthrop, Iowa.
To leave an online condolence, please go to www.reifffamilycenter.com under obituaries.
Cedar Rapids Gazette, July 25, 2019