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Phyllis “Jean” Rumney

Nov. 21, 1924-Sept. 8, 2020

Phyllis “Jean” Rumney,

age 95, of Minot, ND and

longtime resident of

Kirksville, MO, passed

away at Trinity Homes

nursing home in Minot on

September 8, 2020.

Jean was born at home

in Ypsilanti, MI on No-

vember 21, 1924, to Dan

and Thalia (Graichen)

Ohlinger. She was raised

and educated in Ypsilanti.

At the age of 17, she

designed the winning in-

signia, “The Spirit of

Ypsilanti”, for the first

B-24 airplane from the

Ford Willow Run bomber

plant to be carried into

battle during the Second

World War.

Jean attended Michigan

State Normal College

(now Eastern Michigan

University) where she re-

ceived her degree in Art

Education with a minor in

Music in 1947. She was a

member of the Sigma Nu

Phi sorority, Eastern Star,

and the American Legion

Auxiliary.

After graduation, Jean

taught art in the public

schools of Ypsilanti and

was organist for the First

Baptist Church. She later

became an office medical

assistant to Dr. Ira C.

Rumney, Doctor of Osteo-

pathy, in Ann Arbor, MI.

On December 27, 1958,

she and Ira were married.

They remained married

until his death on October

4th, 1978.

In 1961, Jean and her

family moved to Kirks-

ville, MO where her hus-

band received a position

at the Kirksville College of

Osteopathic Medicine

(now A.T. Still Universi-

ty) and later served on the

board of admissions. Jean

and her family were

proud and active

members of the First Bap-

tist Church in Kirksville.

Jean enjoyed art, music,

and nurturing house

plants. She was well

known for crafting hun-

dreds of incredible Fa-

berge style eggs of all

sizes, which she created

with great care. Jean loved

playing and listening to

classical music. She

shared this passion with

her children and

grandchildren, many of

whom went on to study

music at the collegiate

level. Jean was also

known for her incredible

green thumb, observable

in every window of her

home.

In 2009, Jean relocated

to Minot, ND in order to

be near her son Jon, his

wife, the late Lynne Rum-

ney, and her grand-

daughter, Danica. Jean en-

joyed her time living at

Somerset Court assisted

living. She relished con-

certs at Minot State

University and services at

Vincent United Methodist

Church.

Jean is preceded in

death by: her parents Dan

and Thalia Ohlinger, hus-

band Dr. Ira C. Rumney,

niece Phyllis Harris,

sister-in-law Esther Ohl-

inger, and

daughter-in-law Lynne

Rumney.

She is survived by: her

brother Richard (Jacque-

line) Ohlinger of Cincin-

nati, OH; children Don

(Linda) Rumney of Kansas

City, KS, Erna (Stephen)

Buckles of Liberty Hill,

TX, and Jon Rumney of

Minot, ND; grandchildren

Anna Katherine (Dan)

Serber of Louisville, KY,

Robert (Conner) Buckles

of Borger, TX, Stephen

Joseph Buckles Jr. of

Leander, TX, and Danica

Rumney of Minot, ND;

and great grandchildren

Ara Buckles and Oliver

Buckles of Borger, TX.

Phyllis Jean Rumney

will be privately interred

at Park View Memorial

Gardens alongside her

husband in Kirksville,

MO. Jean’s family is at

peace, knowing full well

that her faith was in the

Lord.

Arrangements in care of

the Thomas Family Fun-

eral Home, Minot.

Memories and con-

dolences can be shared at

www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.