Jack Easton

Jack B. Easton, 90 years and nine days, of Clear Lake, died Saturday morning, March 28, 2015 at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa, Mason City.

Memorial services were held on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 2nd St. SE, Mason City. The Rev. Brent 

Hamilton, of  Wesley United Methodist Church, officiated the service.  Inurnment was in Memorial Park Cemetery with the V.F.W. providing honorary military rites. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to contribute to the Jack B. Easton Memorial Fund which will be used for educational and veteran programs.

Jack Berner was born one of four children to Leonard Locke and Anne Marie Easton in Mason City. He was educated and graduated with the class of 1943 from the Mason City school system. He continued his education at Iowa State University from 1946-1947, then Mason City Junior College from ‘47-’48 and received his BA degree from UNI, in 1950, then returned to UNI for his Master’s Degree in Education in 1960. On July 2, 1943 he enlisted in the US Army in Des Moines. Following his honorable service he was discharged on April 20, 1946 from Camp McCoy, Wis., as a Sergeant. During WWII he served in the European Theatre seeing battles in the “Battle of the Bulge,” “Battle of the Rineland-Remagen Bridge,” “Battle for Central Germany,” and the Army of Occupation/Aster War Service. Jack was often the keynote speaker on Memorial Day for the VFW. 

After returning to Iowa, he met his future wife at the Surf Ballroom, fell in love with Jeannine Elaine Davis who he joined in marriage on July 18, 1947, in Mason City. One of his favorite verses was “Love never faileth (the greatest of these is Love).” To this union was born three children, Cynthia, Paula, and David. Jack began teaching English in Clarinda, Iowa from 1950-52, Titonka from 53-58, Clear Lake from 58-59, then he became a professor of English at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City from 1959 until his retirement 34 years later in 1993.

Jack was a life member of the Clear Lake V.F.W. Post 4868, Phi Kappa Psi at ISU, 40-year member of the Iowa State Education Association, served as president of the Iowa Teachers Association and was a member of the National Education Association. In 1972 he received the Higher Education Service Award. 

Jack very much enjoyed the outdoors hunting, fishing and tending his gardens. He made many fishing trips at Clear Lake, and Kabetogama and Namikan Lakes in Northern Minnesota. He earned the DNR Big Fish Award for catching a Buffalo Carp, and could be found trout fishing in the Iowa streams. His love of fishing put him in a lot of ice fishing shacks in the winter. He hunted pheasants and ducks around the North Iowa area too. He was an avid reader, enjoyed music and supported Iowa, Iowa State and UNI in all sports.  Jack was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. He lived his life by the motto “Think Right, Do Right and Don’t Worry!”

Those left to cherish Jack’s memory include his wife, Jeannine, of 67 years; three children, Cynthia, and her husband, Jon Burger, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Paula, and her husband, David Sweat, Orlando, Fla;  David, and his wife, Jane Easton, Cedar Falls, Iowa; nine grandchildren, Emily Blackhurst, Rachael Ray, Adam (Dana) Burger and Laura Burger, Rock (Myrna) Whitney, Mick Whitney, Ashley (Lee John) Geisinger, Cole and Tess Easton; nine great-grandchildren; Sister Shirley Cahalan, Mason City, and William Locke Easton, Topsville, Mass.

Preceding Jack in death are his parents, L. Locke in 1967, and Anne Marie in 1968; and one sister, Lois Fey in 2009.

Fullerton Funeral Home, Mason City, was in charge of arrangements.