Irene E. Saur-Jones
November 26, 1918 - February 24, 2018
Irene Saur-Jones died at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics at the age
of 99 years and 3 months. According to her family, Irene had no true
desire to live such a long life, but she did her best to enjoy each day as it
came to her. She enjoyed staying connected to people and worldly affairs
by watching TV and reading her iPad. Irene felt blessed to be surrounded
by her loving family and friends, and rarely voiced a complaint.
She learned to play the piano in her youth, paying for her piano lessons
with the 25 cents her older brother gave to her each week. After moving
to Davenport in 1956, she was asked to learn to play the organ for her
church. That was the beginning of her 42-year commitment as a devoted
church organist.
Following the death of her second husband, Irene moved from Arizona
back to Iowa to be closer to her family. During those last 20 years of her
life, Irene battled stage IV chronic kidney disease and became a patient
in the Nephrology Clinic at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. When
Irene died, her son honored her request to be an eye donor for Iowa
Lions Eye Bank, realizing Irene's generous gift would help further the
cause of sight restoration through research.