Gloria Jean Desmond 1935-2012

DESMOND WEPKING WALBURN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/2/2013 at 20:29:05

Sioux City Journal
2 January 2013

Gloria Jean Desmond, 77, of Sioux City, died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, at home after a long battle with cancer.

Services will be noon Saturday at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, with family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.

Jean was born July 13, 1935, in Mitchell, S.D., the daughter of Charles and Isabel (Wepking) Walburn. She was known to most people as Jean or Jeanie. She graduated from Sioux City Central High School in 1954.

Jean married James R. Desmond on Nov. 19, 1955, in Sioux City. They raised five daughters, and were grandparents and great-grandparents.

Jean enjoyed plants, reading, puzzles, adopting pets and, most of all, her grandchildren. She did volunteer work. She was a homemaker and a loving mother and grandmother.

Survivors include five daughters, Julie (Norman) Smith of Brandon, S.D., Orise Monk of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Laura (Bruce) Schoer of Marcus, Iowa, Lisa (Brad) Miller of Lisbon, Iowa, and Lynn (Mike) Kollbaum of Sergeant Bluff; 13 grandchildren, Stephanie Dziurawiec, Mariah and Ben Fox, Rosa, Willie and Joey Monk, Charlie Reich, Sarah Reich-Schoer, Landon Schoer, Zach and Shelby Leisinger, Faith Miller and Jordon Kollbaum; seven great-grandchildren, Natalie, Lilyanna, Colton, Taylor, Jude, Noel and Natalia; and a friend, Lois "Sis" LeFleur.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband.