Ina Harriet (Paulson) FLOWER

FLOWER, DEASY, BLACKMAN, WESTBY, MELVIN, ERSLAND, PAULSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 11/10/2008 at 11:50:46

Ina Harriet Flower, 97, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Iowa Falls, died peacefully Monday morning Feb 6, 2006 at Northbrook Manor Care Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. Memorial services will be held at a later date at Bethany Lutheran Church in Iowa Falls, IA. Inurnment: Riverside Cemetery, Marshalltown, IA. Arrangements by Cedar Memorial Funeral Home.

Survivors include: daughter and son-in-law Jean and Dick Deasy of Cedar Rapids; son Jon Flower of Coralville, IA; grandson David Deasy and wife Dawn of Bettendorf, IA; granddaughter Katherine Deasy of Iowa City, IA; grandson Steve Flower of Bettendorf, IA; granddaughter Jane Blackman and husband Luke of Davenport, IA; grandson Eric Flower of Iowa City, IA; great grandchildren Nicholas Deasy, Elizabeth Deasy, Sylvie Blackman, and Hila Blackman; special niece Margaret Westby Wold of Evanston, IL; special friend Jan Melvin of Coralville, IA; and several nieces and nephews.

Ina was born January 23, 1909 in Thor, IA to Henry O. and Marie Ersland Paulson. The family moved to Forest City, IA in 1914. Ina was an enthusiastic Camp Fire girl, was confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church, and was valedictorian of the Forest City High School class of 1926. She attended Waldorf College in Forest City, where she was an active member in the choir, and graduated in 1928. Ina then received her BS in Math and Science at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN in 1930 and did graduate work at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. Ina began her 36 year teaching career in Swea City, IA in 1930. In 1932, she moved to Iowa Falls to teach and met fellow teacher and coach Howard Flower. Since the Iowa Falls School Board didn't allow married women on the faculty, in December 1933, Ina and Howard traveled out of state, to St. Joseph, MO to get married secretly. Within a few months, the marriage was discovered and she was fired. Because of Ina's dedication to teaching, she agreed to be hired back at half pay. She then took some time off to raise her family and went back to teaching after World War II, until her retirement in 1973. Ina was presented an award from the Iowa Falls Rotary Club for her outstanding leadership and dedication as an educator in 1970. Ina and Howard loved to travel and were able to visit almost every state. They also took a 6 week teachers' tour in Europe and enjoyed an extended trip around the world. After they retired, Howard and Ina also enjoyed spending the winters in South Padre Island, TX. After Howard's death in 1982, Ina continued to visit their friends in South Padre, accompanied by various family members. Ina stayed active in Iowa Falls, belonging to the DV Chapter of PEO and faithfully attending Bethany Lutheran Church. She also enjoyed reading, knitting, doing crossword puzzles, and playing bridge. In 1994 Ina moved to Cedar Rapids to live with her daughter before moving to Northbrook Manor.

Ina lived a long and exceptional life. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and former students. Ina was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her sister Blanche Paulson Westby of Forest City, IA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Howard and Ina Flower Scholarship Fund Iowa Falls High School at Green Belt Bank and Trust, PO Box 790, Iowa Falls, IA 50126 or to Bethany Lutheran Church, Iowa Falls, IA.

http://www.cedarmemorial.com/obituary/1218/ina-h--flower-cedar-rapids-ia/