Jeannette Messerli, 87, of Clinton, and formerly of Maquoketa, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at MercyOne Medical Center in Clinton, Iowa.

Jeannette Messerli was born on November 6, 1935 at home on the family farm in Onslow, Iowa, to Al and Edna (Orr) Hamilton.  She attended country school in Jones County until her family moved to Maquoketa, where she graduated from Maquoketa High School as Valedictorian in 1954.  She was a farm girl who loved riding around in the truck with her dad, and feeding the dogs, cats, ponies, and chickens.  She then attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids for two years, where she was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority.  She married Frederick Messerli on September 9, 1956 in Maquoketa, Iowa.  Two children were born to this union, Tom, and Peggy.

Early in her marriage, Jeannette worked in the Cardiac Tissue Lab at the University of Iowa before moving to Clinton.  Upon the death of her husband in 1966, Jeannette worked as an EKG Technician at Jane Lamb Hospital for five years.  In 1971 she began a 30-year career with Clinton High School as the head bookkeeper/cashier for the school lunch program.  She retired in 2001.  In addition to working and raising her two children as a single mom, Jeannette also actively managed the family farms up until her death.

Jeannette’s faith was extremely important to her.  She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Clinton where she had been active in the United Methodist Women and had served on the Board of Trustees and Finance Committee.  She loved vegetable and flower gardening, baking pies, and enjoyed making crafts and Christmas ornaments to give away.   She was a “lifelong learner”, who never stopped searching out information and asking questions.

Those left to honor her memory include her children, Tom (Sheri Melvold) Messerli of Maquoketa, IA, and Peggy (Jon) Thoms of Bellevue, IA; 3 grandchildren, Abigail Messerli, Laura (and husband Joey Meinert) Thoms, and Tim (Hillary) Melvold; and 2 great-grandchildren, Landon and Jaxon.  She was preceded in death by her parents, infant sister Peggy Ann, and her husband Frederick in 1966.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11:30 A.M., Monday, March 13, 2023 at the First United Methodist Church in Maquoketa.  Visitation will be held prior to the funeral from 10 A.M. to 11:15 A.M at the church.  Burial will be at the Clay Cemetery, rural Onslow, Iowa.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, a Jeannette Messerli memorial fund has been established.

The Carson Celebration of Life Center in Maquoketa is caring for the family.  Online condolences may be left at www.CarsonAndSon.com.