Jeane C. Brush

DES MOINES ? Jeane Crawford Brush, 93, of Des Moines, formerly of Ainsworth, died Sunday, July 19, 2015.

Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Memorials may be directed to VFW, Eureka College, Iowa Public Television or Christ in the Desert Monastery.

Mrs. Brush was born July 13, 1922, at Evergreen Farm near Flanagan, Ill., the daughter of Martha Jane Bane and Iven George Crawford. She married George Shaffer Brush of Oak Park, Ill., on April 15, 1944.

She attended Crawford country school in Livingston County, Ill., and high school in Dana, Ill., graduating in 1939. In 1943 she received a B.A. in dramatic art with a minor in history from Eureka College, where she was a member of Delta Zeta Sorority, after spending two years at Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Ill. She was baptized and confirmed in the Disciples of Christ Christian Church in Long Point, Ill. She was a member of 4-H, Christian Endeavor, Livingston All-County 4-H Band, and participated in high school sports and forensics. She and her husband became the parents of five children, and lived in Illinois, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Iowa, Florida and Guam, circumventing the globe in the summer of 1960. While living in Ainsworth, she was an English teacher at Highland High School from 1965 to 1970. Her work included teaching high school English, speech and drama classes, writing and directing school plays, judging speech contests, and holding a variety of clerical positions. She was also a Brownie, 4-H and Cub Scout leader. She was a member of NEA, Des Moines Area Council for International Understanding, VFW, National Federation of Republican Women, and the Classy Red Hat Ladies. She loved family, theater, travel and participating in plays. She was also an avid Chicago Cubs and Bulls fan. She enjoyed alumni reunions from high school, college and LCI flotillas, as well as family gatherings. She was known to be great at telling stories, and she thoroughly enjoyed vocabulary. She had recently taught her family to dance the balalaika.

Surviving are one daughter, Brooksie Miller and husband Doug of Maxwell; two sons, Iven Brush and wife Gail, and Carl Brush of Des Moines; one daughter-in-law, Maureen Brush of Omaha, Neb.; 10 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George; her parents; one daughter, Binnie; one son, George; one great-grandson; two brothers, Iven, and Warren; one sister, Myrta Misker and husband Edward; and one sister-in-law, Jeannette Brush.