In Memory of Jean M. Goodenow

Jean Marie Goodenow, age 96, of Spirit Lake, IA (formerly of Ida Grove, IA) passed away peacefully on April 8, 2026. 

Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Epworth Hall at the Methodist Camp in Spirit Lake, Iowa, under the direction of the Hamilton’s Funeral Home of West Des Moines, IA.  

A Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Epworth Hall at the Methodist Camp in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

A Private Family Committal Service will be held in the Ida Grove Cemetery later that day under the direction of the Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Ida Grove, Iowa.

Condolences may be left online at www.christensenvanhouten.com or www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

Jean Marie Goodenow, was born on May 21, 1929, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to John and Hazel Babb. She passed away peacefully on April 8, 2026. Her 96 years were marked by faith, kindness, strength and love of family and friends.

Jean moved several times in her younger years with stops in Mount Vernon, SD, Sioux City, IA, and Battle Creek, IA, as her father was pursuing his newspaper career.

On November 27, 1949, Jean married Don Goodenow in Battle Creek, IA. Their marriage spanned more than 70 years until Don’s passing in 2019. While raising six children in a rowdy “Leave it to Beaver-like” household in Ida Grove, IA, Jean continuously pursued her own education. For 10 years, every Wednesday night, she attended classes to earn her teaching degree with honors from Buena Vista College. All of her six “G” named children attended her graduation ceremony. She went on to teach in the Ida Grove Community Schools for 28 years, balancing the demands of a busy household with a career devoted to educating her students.

In 1988, Jean and Don retired and moved to Monarch Cove in Spirit Lake, IA, where they creatively renovated the house that would become their home for the next several decades. There, Jean found the perfect balance of lively summers filled with visiting family and peaceful winters surrounded by relative silence. She treasured the sense of community and dear friendships in Monarch Cove.

Jean was a faithful member of the Spirit Lake Presbyterian Church. She cherished the friendships formed through her bridge, writers’, PEO and book clubs as well as her bible study groups.

An avid writer, Jean authored “On My Mind” in 2019, which is a collection of short stories she compiled through her writing club—a project that came from her love of daily journaling. In her later years, after many years of ignoring her cell phone, she picked it up and enjoyed texting family and friends, sharing Wordle scores and photos. She also decided she had to self-limit herself on how late she would allow herself to play solitaire.

Jean is survived by her children Gail of Carmel, CA, Gregg (Janet) of  Spirit Lake, IA, Grant (Janene) of Johnston, IA, Gavin (Martha) of Arvada CO, Guy (Kara) of Westminster, CO and Nan of Lafayette, CO, the widow of her son, Gary. Jean was blessed with 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, each of whom she adored.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her son Gary; and her sister Janet.