Jack Jeffery

Jack Edwin Jeffery, 77, of Iola, Kansas, died Sunday, December 5, 2010, at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, Kansas. Jack was born on May 25, 1933, in Chelsea, Oklahoma, the son of Roy E. and Jessie Grace (Mouton) Jeffery. As his father was with Texaco Pipeline, he attended elementary and grade school in Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois, graduating from high school in Chelsea, Oklahoma. He attended Northeastern Oklahoma A & M and Oklahoma A & M (now Oklahoma State University) where he was the first male home economics major. Jack served with the United States Army from 1956 to 1958 and upon his honorable discharge worked in Galesburg, Illinois, until the spring of 1959 when he returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and married Alberta Borum in September of 1959. He was a decorator for Jack Wills Furniture Store, then owned a hat shop in Tulsa until February of 1961 when he became a dress designer for H.L. Miller in Iola. He worked at H.L. Miller until he became owner of Cindy's Flower Shop. He was a florist until he had a heart attack in 1974. He worked at T.G. & Y. in Iola and then went to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he was a buyer for the Paris Shops. Jack returned to Iola and worked at Pamida in Chanute, then P.N. Hirsch in Iola until becoming a cook at the Allen County Hospital. He left the hospital to open his gift shop and catering business. After his second heart attack, he closed this to become an ANW Para at McKinley Elementary in Iola. He retired from the school. Jack was co-founder of the Allen County Arts Council which is now Iola Community Theater and starred, directed and costumed many productions. He is a member of First Christian Church in Iola. He was also Grandpa Jack at the library for years where he had a children's story hour. SURVIVORS: His wife: Alberta Jeffery of the home 1 Daughter: Cindy Kress & husband, Larry of LaHarpe, Kansas 1 Great Granddaughter: Jordyn He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Roy. VISITATION: 5:00-7:00 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010, at the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Chapel in Iola. FUNERAL SERVICE: 2:00 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010, at the First Christian Church in Iola. BURIAL: Highland Cemetery, Iola, KS MEMORIAL CHOICES: First Christian Church, Iola Community Theater, or Friends Of The Bowlus Memorial gifts may be left with the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola, which is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences for the family may be left on this website, www.iolafuneral.com .