LEWIS, Jeannette 1913-2001

SELLMAN, LEWIS, BENZICK, ENG

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 10/10/2010 at 19:40:02

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Jeannette Lewis

Jeannette Lewis, 87, died June 30, 2001 at her home in Glendale, Calif. She was born Nov. 24, 1913 in DECORAH, the daughter of Edward and Louise Sellman, long time residents of DECORAH and active in community affairs. She will be buried at Phelps Cemetery, where she and her husband have a plot near her parents.

Jeannette attended Decorah Schools and graduated from Decorah High School in 1931. She then went to the University of Minnesota where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. She graduated in 1936.

It was at the University of Minnesota that Jeannette met her future husband, Robert Lewis, a member of Minnesota's national champion football team.

They had three children, and at the time of her death, had been married 62 years.

Jeannette and Bob lived in Glendale, Calif., from 1946 to 1976.

In Glendale, Jeannette was active in the National Charity League and the area Pi Beta Phi alumni organization.

After his retirement from "Look" magazine and the "New York Times", the Lewis' moved to Prescott, Ariz., where they resided from 1976-1999, enjoying golf and an active social life.

In Dec. 1999 Bob and Jeannette Lewis returned to Glendale to be closer to their children, all California residents.

In their lives together, Jeannette and Bob Lewis traveled throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe.

Until her death, Jeannette Lewis remained associated with the DECORAH community as the owner of the Sherwin-Williams building on Water Street.

She will always be remembered as a devoted wife and mother and a woman of grace, compassion and dignity. She possessed a heart that was open to all.

Survivors include her husband, Bob Lewis; children Susan Benzick of Glendale; Randy Lewis of Laguna Beach and Elizabeth Eng of San Jose.

Additional survivors include four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.