Jennie Belle (Hill) Stevens

    Jennie Stevens, 99, passed away January 4, 2017 at her home in Alden, Iowa with her daughters by her side. A firm believer in medical science, Jennie donated her body for research. A Memorial Service and Celebration of her Life will be held at 3:00pm on her 100th birthday, April 1, 2017, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ; 520 College Avenue, Iowa Falls, Iowa 50126.  A time of fellowship and refreshments will be 5:30pm Saturday, April 1, 2017 at the Alden American Legion Hall; 506 West St, Alden, IA 50006; with story telling at 6:30pm to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to: Jennie Stevens Memorial; c/o: Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc.; Dept 560; Washington, D.C. 20042-0560 [forms available at Linn’s Funeral Home in Iowa Falls or online at www.womensmemorial.org]; or to: Jennie Stevens Memorial; c/o First Congregational UCC; 520 College, PO BOX 723; Iowa Falls, IA 50126; or to her family. 

     With the help of a neighbor, Jennie Belle Hill was born in the family home in Franklin County, Texas, April 1, 1917 to James Hiram and Sylvia Elizabeth [Snow] Hill. Her early education was in Texas in country schools and she graduated from high school in Vinson, Oklahoma.  She entered East Texas State College in Commerce, Texas and got her degree in Physical Education in the summer of 1940. After teaching in several country schools, in April of 1943 she joined the military as part of the Women’s Army Air Corps and proudly wore her Army uniform.  As injured military troops began to need therapy, she was assigned to Stanford University for physical therapy training. She received her Lieutenant bars in July of 1944 as a physical therapist, and served in that capacity until her discharge in November, 1945. During this time, she met and married Vernon Stevens on September 11, 1945. After his discharge, they moved to Iowa Falls in one of Iowa’s worst snowstorms. To this union, three daughters – Judy, Linda, and Barbara – were born.

    Jennie’s education and experience provided the opportunity for her to establish the physical therapy unit at Ellsworth Hospital and within the Iowa Falls community. Jennie was a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ[UCC] in Iowa Falls, the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, Parchment Club, BPW (where she was named Woman of the Year), and the Iowa Falls-Alden Garden Club. As her daughters grew, she became involved with the Girl Scouts as a leader as well as a youth group leader and camp counselor through her church. Her other interests included traveling, camping, sports, fishing, hiking, golfing, rock collecting, listening to music, reading, word puzzles, gardening, playing cards, and spending time with her family and friends. She was blessed to have left footprints in every state except Hawaii.

    Her greatest joys were her family and she is survived by her daughters: Judy [Jim Boyd], Linda [Ardy Allen], and Barbara [Joe Lyon]; nine grandchildren: Mike, Dan, Byron, Chris, Steve, Jon, Nick, Melinda and Blair; and twenty great-grandchildren: Blake, Holton, Colin, Bo, Evan, Garret, Peityn, Jayden, Damon, Emma, Ava, Chloe, Carli, Caitlyn, Joshua, Anna, Graham, Scarlett, Henry, and Kiptyn.

    Jennie likened life to a grain of sand on this globe called Earth but just a speck in God’s world called the universe. She lived life to the fullest every day, never realizing what a role model she was to many.