Jeanette C. Alexis
January 17, 1927 ~ January 13, 2016 (age 88) 88 Years OldShare using:
Jeanette C. (Pollard) Alexis, 88, of Lincoln died Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at Country House in Lincoln.
Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday in Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul. Reverend Martha Voigt will officiate.
A visitation and a time to visit with the family will be held on Friday, from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul.
Memorials are suggested to the University of Nebraska Foundation, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Lincoln Symphony Guild or the donor’s choice.
Jeanette Claire Alexis, daughter of T. B. and Fern (Witwer) Strain, was born January 17, 1927 in Lincoln, Nebraska. She entered into rest on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at Country House in Lincoln at the age of 88 years.
Jeanette was raised in Lincoln and attended Sheridan School and Irving Middle School. She then attended St. Mary’s Hall in Fairbault, Minnesota where she graduated as Salutatorian of the Class of 1944. She attended at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1948. After graduation, Jeanette attended the Katherine Gibbs Business School in Boston, Massachusetts, serving as Student Council President and graduating first in the class of 1950. Jeanette was employed for many years as a high level executive secretary at several Fortune 500 companies.
In addition to her professional life, Jeanette devoted much time to civic activities. She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lincoln; Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Chicago Chapter - treasurer; University of Nebraska Foundation; Howard County Hospital in St. Paul - treasurer; Thursday morning lecture series; Altrusa International; American Association of University Women; Infant Welfare Society of Chicago; Lux University Place Art Center; Lincoln Symphony Orchestra Guild; Robert Hillestad Textile Gallery at the University of Nebraska; 50 years of hospital volunteerism; the University of Nebraska Alumni Association; the Newcomen Society of England, the Norden Club Foundation; a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow; an Admiral in the Nebraska Navy, and the recipient of the University of Nebraska Alumni Award for 2006.
Jeanette loved music, spending many years performing, beginning with the piano at age four. She sang in choirs and vocal groups, acted in numerous school and community musicals and played the harp.
She married Robert Pollard on October 19, 1974 in Omaha. The couple lived in St. Paul from 1974 until 1977. They relocated to Grand Island where they lived until his death in 1997. Both were avid Cornhusker fans and attended games wherever their team played.
On April 24, 1999 Jeanette married Carl Alexis and returned to her home town of Lincoln. They spent their golden years taking frequent trips to Europe and Mexico. During their travels, Jeanette took French literature short courses offered through University of Montpellier, France and the University of Chardonnay, France. As a French language major in college, this later-in-life course work was a great source of personal pride and enrichment.
Survivors include a niece Nancy Wilcox (and husband Bob), a great niece Katherine Wilcox, a great nephew Ian Wilcox of Seattle, WA; a nephew George John of Houston, TX; a niece Karen Torrance (and husband Bruce); a nephew Stephen Bruce and other cousins, nieces and nephews. Her family and friends will miss her zest for life and her warm, friendly and gregarious nature.
Jeanette is preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Robert Pollard and Carl Alexis; and twin sister, JoAnne Braithwaite.