Memorial Visitation: Friday, October 29, 2021 from 2:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M, Bloom Senior Center, 25 North Vine Street, Glenwood, Iowa.
Billie Jean (Miller) Strom died peacefully at home and surrounded by family on July 30, 2020. She was called Billie by her childhood friends, Jellybean by those who teased, Jeamie by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Mrs. Strom by her students, and Jean by everyone else. She was serious reader, a journaler extraordinaire, an average bridge player, brilliant at blackjack. She loved trailering, late-night campfires and tomato beer. She delighted in the challenges of the classroom. She was a dedicated fan of Nebraska football and was fascinated by the financial and political worlds. She was a tender, loving caregiver for her husband and for her parents.
Jean was born on April 19, 1928 to Dr. William Timothy and Esther Elizabeth (Monroe) Miller in Columbia, Missouri. She married Arthur Lee Strom in Martin, South Dakota in 1946 and they had one son, Bruce Lynn.
Jean grew up in the small college town of Peru, Nebraska, where everyone knew everyone. She attended Chadron Prep School, Chadron, Nebraska graduating valedictorian in 1946. She was graduated, magna cum laude, from Nebraska State Teachers College, Chadron, Nebraska in 1950 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, majoring in Vocal Music and English. She did graduate work at the University of Nebraska and the University of Iowa.
Jean’s teaching career spanned 43 years, first teaching in Unadilla and Eagle while her husband completed his degree at the University of Nebraska. The two of them taught in Lewiston, David City and Madison, Nebraska and in Des Plains, Illinois. They moved to Glenwood in 1961 where Lee served as high school principal and Jean taught sophomore English until her retirement in 1993.
She held memberships, past and present, in a number of clubs and organizations: Cardinal Key National Honor Society, Zeta Alpha Sorority, Omaha Symphonic Chorus, Delta Kappa Gamma (vice president), P.E.O. Chapter FF, United Methodist Women, Glenwood Educational Association (president 1962-1963), Iowa State Educational Association, National Education Association (life member), North Central Association Steering Committee, Friends of the Library, Brown Bag Book Club, Heritage Club and WIGS and MONI Investment Clubs (chairman). Jean was awarded a Regents Scholarship and Tuition Fellowship at the University of Nebraska. She attended the Grace United Methodist Church in Glenwood.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lee, in 1991, her parents, Bill and Esther, in 1992, and her special friend, Pete Boughn in 2006. She is survived by her son, Dr. Bruce Strom and wife Kirstin, Waukesha, Wisconsin; grandson, William (Bill) Strom and wife Sarah Weiss, great granddaughter Hazel Evva Weiss Strom and great grandson Henry Malcolm Weiss Strom, Chicago, Illinois; granddaughter Sharon Claire Strom and partner James Arnall, London, England; sister Lois Crane, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; nephews Mark Zanger and special friend Julianne Frederickson, Fairfield, Iowa; Reed Zanger, Iowa City, Iowa; Rob Zanger and wife Joan and their sons Thomas Zanger and Matthew Zanger, Vienna, Virginia; niece Susan Crane, Iowa City, Iowa; step-niece Betsy Crane, Newburgh, New York and a number of Strom family members throughout the United States.
At a later date, all of Jean’s friends, neighbors, former students, former colleagues, bridge partners and traveling companions are invited to a memorial visitation and celebration of life with her family. Jean’s family looks forward to a time when we can all safely come together, visit, laugh, remember and be joyful!
Memorial Gifts may be directed to the Billie Jean Strom Memorial Scholarship Fund, care of Glenwood Dollars for Scholars, PO Box 465, Glenwood, IA 51534. https://glenwood.dollarsforscholars.org
Interment, Glenwood Cemetery, Glenwood, Iowa.
41 Condolences
I will miss this great teacher. She really inspired me to always keep reading and to improve myself.
i had her as my teacher, kind lady. Prayers for family.
She was one of my favorite teachers.
Such a beautiful soul! She touched so many lives including my family! She will be sorely missed.
Sorry for your loss Bruce, she had a lot of spunk
Mrs. Strom will be sorely missed! As one of her many students, I profited from her dedication as a teacher and enjoyed socializing with her at events for the past (many) years. Her love of life and general sauciness made her such an entertaining member of our community! I wish her well at the end of a long and gracious journey.
You will truly be missed “Sweetie”. She loved her students and they loved her. She taught me, my sister, and all three of my children. She was a special lady
She was one of my favorites. Tough, but fun. R.I.P. Mrs Strom….”my sweet baboo”.
A lovely, classy lady. One of my favorite teachers. She never forgot a student.
Godspeed my wonderful birthday twin! I’m so glad we got to chat just a couple months ago. You were always a joy and a smile in my heart.
One of my favorite memories of you was when you were our Junior class sponsor for homecoming and you had the idea to use our golf cart to create a beehive and have classmates as bees around it. I think we were going for Sting the Mustangs (or whomever we were playing). We built this sturdy frame around the cart and used chicken wire and napkins (of course) to form the hive. It turned out super cool…until the sprinkles started coming down during the parade and the napkins got soaked and the hive got so heavy that it sagged over the exhaust. I swear Tami Ross and I just about died from carbon monoxide poisoning finishing the square and getting the hive back home.
To my one and only birthday twin, wonderful teacher and friend, I say THANK YOU Mrs. Strom and GO RAMS!
And, of course, I can’t catch the spelling error in my own name. Pretty sure you got a giggle out of that one
What a role model I had! She taught me sooo much about teaching! Strong, classy,,intelligent, up beat!! My mentor and my friend!!!
Sincerest Sympathy to those who loved this great lady who was beautiful both inside and out. May she Rest In Peace..
hugs to you , Bruce.
Mrs. Strom was one of my favorite teachers and a true gem for GCHS. My sincere sympathy to the family.
Sorry for your loss Bruce, I enjoyed your mom immensely—she had a lot of spunk, and in a good way
Mrs Strom taught me the most important skill I learned in high school; how to write well and communicate professionally. As a senior I even tried to re-take her English 10 class because I really felt like she understood me. She wouldn’t let me back into her class, but she did allow me to be her “senior reader” and help to correct the many paper assignments her students would turn in. So I got to see her pretty regularly during my senior year. I’ve thought of her often over the years with fondness and gratitude. I’m a small part of her amazing legacy as an educator. Rest In Peace Mrs Strom and thank you for making such a difference in my life.
I enjoyed conversations with Jean when joining the group at the YMCA pool for the OWLS class. She was well-versed in many topics. She will be missed greatly!
You have always been admired and you will be greatly missed. Pin a rose on you, dearest Jean.
I have fond memories of my former neighbor. Jean will be missed by so many.
My deepest condolences to the family. Mrs. Strom was a wonderful teacher, demonstrating not only knowledge and experience but also with patience and wisdom. I remember her classes vividly as well as her smile. In recent years when I’d see her she was always cheerful and complimentary, appreciative of her life and many blessings. The Crisler family all thank her for her commitment to teaching us so that we learned and remembered and for her grace in leadership and community service.
you were a great teacher and I will remember some of your sayings forever. my deepest condolences to your family. you were loved by all your students. heaven will be brighter with that beautiful smile.
So sad to read this. She was a wonderful teacher and such a joy to be in book discussions with. She was loved and she will be missed. Bruce you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Sympathy to you and your family, your mother was a great teacher and wonderful person. She will be missed by all that knew her.
Condolences to the family. Rest In Peace Mrs. Strom.
Condolences to Bruce and the entire Strom family. Jean, “Mrs. Strom” at the time, was a great teacher who influenced a lot of students. She will be sorely misses. Prayers to the entire family.
I didn’t know her well but always respected her work as a teacher. My sympathies to the family
Mrs. Strom was a wonderful teacher she taught both of us in high-school. Pin a rose on you was something I remember s
He would say often. She will be missed. Condolences to her family and friends.
So very sorry for our loss.. Mrs. Strom was the epitome of class, always kind and caring . We know she gave her all and enjoyed life to the fullest. She will be missed and fondly remembered.by many.
Prayers of comfort.
Polly and Andy Young
What a truly wonderful person and teacher. Yes, her English class was difficult and her expectations of all of us were higher than that of most ordinary teachers we had. But equally, I truly believe she held herself to those high standards of excellence not just for us but for her herself. I’d like to think we all left her English class a little bit better than when we entered.
Bruce and all other family members, your Mom was definitely a one of a kind!! Sometimes I didnt like very much being the 4th child in my family when I got to Mrs. Strom’s English class. When I would raise my hand, she would point at me and sometimes she would call me Kathie, Sherri, then Gregg, and finally she would get the name right: Karen!! I often wonder if my younger brother Ron got called every name in our family, too!! I will miss seeing Mrs. Jean Strom’s cheerful smile. Rest in peace.
My sincerest condolences to family & friends… Mrs. Strom was a firm & focused teacher who commanded discipline & respect. As her student, I truly appreciated & benefited from her structured environment. Of course, her kindness was the pinned rose.
Without a doubt the best teacher I had at GCHS. Anyone who could convince a 15 year old me to read (and enjoy!) Shakespeare had to be on top of her game. As an educator myself, I have developed a belated respect for the work and dedication of teachers like Ms. Strom.
I will miss your beautiful smile.
You have always helped so many friends and will be missed.
I was a junior high student of Mrs Stromboli’s in Lewiston Nebr. She was an outstanding teacher. We live in Guthrie Center Iowa always wanted to go visit but never did. regret not doing so. Our sympathy to the family.
What a grand lady! She will be missed by the Class of ’73. My fondest memory: at the end of class she would always say, “c’est la vie!”.
I remember her well and always liked her, even when she made me sit in the hall for a semester. My condolences to the family.
Oh, Bruce😞 What a shock to learn of her passing…I hope she didn’t suffer.
She was an amazing teacher who was respected by all. Such a pretty lady, and
she dressed professionally!
So sorry for your loss,
DeAnna
Oh Mrs. Strom – what an incredible teacher. Her class impacted me more than probably any other class I took at Glenwood and I hated English classes. It’s telling that I can still picture the classroom. How she always looked so classy, which was pretty easy for her to pull off. I was the deserving and somewhat proud recipient of several of her “well, pin a rose on you” comments. And the vocab words have served me well over the years! For all you did for your Glenwood kids, Thanks Mrs. Strom!
My sympathy to the Strom family. I taught in Hamburg for many years and enjoyed knowing Jean through our membership in Beta Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
Everyone has described Mrs. Strom so well. A telltale sign of a great teacher is if a student like me still remembers what she taught. Words like; MAGNANIMOUS, ENNUI, EXTRICATE and SUPERFLOUS! Well done Mrs.Strom!
Mrs. Strom was one of my favorite teachers. She had so much class and never forgot a student. I will miss our random encounters and her big, bright smile.
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