Junellyn Pierce, the daughter of Herman and Olga Jacobsen Scheffler, was born June 30, 1924, in rural Hancock, Iowa. She died on September 30, 2017 at the Oakland Manor Nursing Home in Oakland, Iowa, having attained the age of 93 years and 3 months.
Junellyn graduated from Hancock High School. During her high school years, she played six-girl basketball. She attended Boyles Business College, and then did secretarial work in Greenfield and at the Glenwood State School, before coming to work for the Vieth Hardware Store and Funeral Home in Oakland. In Oakland, she met Ralph Pierce and they were married on December 30, 1945. They were the parents of one son Steven.
Junellyn and Ralph lived on the Pierce Family Farm together for 67 years before Ralph passed away in 2013. Junellyn did lots of volunteer work. She volunteered at Oakland Manor for 35 years. She also was a volunteer at Jennie Edmundson Hospital. She was the Washington Township Clerk for many years and was a poll worker at elections. She was a leader of the West Nishna Belles 4-H Club, and was inducted, along with Ralph, in the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame in 2012. Junellyn was a member of the Oakland United Methodist Church, the Women's Federated Club, and the Belknap Farm Bureau Women's Club.
In her "spare time", Junellyn was an avid reader. She also enjoyed entertaining – having guests over for a meal and playing cards. And she became known as the "Teddy Bear Lady". She made well over 1000 teddy bears and gave presentations about the history of teddy bears. She even constructed a giant teddy bear for the Shriner's Hospital in Minneapolis that was delivered by a friend in his private airplane. Many people still have and treasure her teddy bears.
In 2014, Junellyn rode out a tornado in her farm home. She then, on her 90
th
birthday, bought a new home in Oakland, which she loved greatly.
Junellyn was preceded in death by her husband Ralph, and her parents.
She is survived by her son Steven and wife Marge of Oakland; granddaughters Kris Roberts of St. Charles, MO, and Kerri Wede of Treynor, IA; her great grandchildren: Sara Wede, Courtney Roberts, Lydia Wede, and Zachary Roberts; her brother Donald and wife Fay of Oakland, IA; and her sister-in-law Mildred Beatty of Atlantic, IA. She is also survived by many other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 10:30 AM at the Oakland United Methodist Church. Visitation with the family will be Monday evening from 5-7 PM at the Oakland United Methodist Church. Interment will be in the Oaklawn Cemetery. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is in charge of arrangements.
