Lois J. DePrenger

Lois Jeanne DePrenger, 86, passed away on December 3, 2015. Services will be held at Hamilton’s, 605 Lyon Street in Des Moines on Sunday, December 6, 2015, at 11:00 AM. Family will greet friends from 10 - 11 AM, as well as following the service. Burial will be at Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines later in the week.

Jeanne was born on April 5, 1929, in Kellogg, Iowa, to farmers Henry and Stella DeBondt. She was the youngest of four children. She graduated from Grinnell High School in 1947 and had the nickname “Beaner” because she was tall and thin. She went to State University of Iowa, where she met Herbert L. DePrenger. They married on December 19, 1950, and moved to the Chicago area in 1952, where she briefly worked for Illinois Central Railroad as a secretary. In the late 1950s, they bought a house in Northbrook, a suburb of Chicago. Jeanne was a beloved mother, wife, and homemaker. She had three children, born in 1954, 1955, and 1960. All of her kids graduated from college with advanced degrees. She volunteered in her children’s schools, including earning an award in 1973 for her work as part of the Northbrook Volunteer Pool. She was an active member of the PTA. She was also an advocate of charities, especially the United Way, where she worked as a volunteer and contributed money for many years. She was the Northbrook Area Chairman of the United Way in the early 1970s. Jeanne was an avid bridge player, playing in multiple bridge clubs with her husband. She moved to Dallas, TX, in 1975 and to the Washington, DC, area in 1981 in support of her husband’s career. After Herb’s retirement, Jeanne and Herb moved to West Des Moines, IA, in 1990 to be close to their relatives. In 2014, she became a great-grandmother but lost her husband of 64 years. In April 2015, Jeanne moved to Chantilly, VA, where she enjoyed her time with her son Vince’s family, including some of her grandkids and her great-grandchild. Jeanne enjoyed cooking, crossword puzzles, bridge, tennis, bowling, croquet, and golf.

She is survived by her sons, Doug (Dona) DePrenger and Vince (Kathy) DePrenger; daughter Kim DePrenger; granddaughters Michelle (Brian) Meehan and Ariella DePrenger-Gottfried; grandsons Michael DePrenger and Gavriel DePrenger-Gottfried; and great-grandson Jack Meehan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Red Cross of Greater Iowa, 2116 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312, (515) 243 – 7681, http://www.redcross.org/ia/des-moines.

Condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

Print