Jean Eneatha (Christofferson) Bacon, 88, of Monona, Iowa passed away on Sunday, December 4, 2022 at the Great River Care Center in McGregor, Iowa. Jean was born September 12, 1934 in Postville, Iowa to Herman Alton and Rita Irene (Minger) Christofferson. A gift to her family, she was born on her father’s birthday. She is the oldest of two children and grew up on a farm. She was confirmed at the Community Presbyterian Church in Postville. Jean graduated from high school in 1952 and went on to the Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota from which she graduated in 1955.
Jean was united in marriage with Donald Bacon on October 1, 1955 at the Presbyterian Church in Postville. Two sons were born to this union, Robert and Steve. Jean worked for a short while at the Postville Hospital before moving on to the McGregor Hospital for nine years. She began working at the Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital in 1967. She earned her certification in Critical Care as an RNC (Registered Nurse Certified) and assisted in the establishment of the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. While working and raising her children, she went on to obtain her BSN degree from the University of Dubuque, graduating in 1989. She taught classes in coronary care, CPR and Advanced Life Support. She later trained in eye enucleation through the Wisconsin Eye Bank. She was instrumental in helping to start the outpatient chemotherapy program in Prairie du Chien. After 32 years at PdC Memorial, she retired in 1999 and went on to earn her certification in Parish Nursing from Viterbo. She has been a Parish Nurse through Living Faith Parish since 2000.
Throughout her career, Jean was an active member of her community and community groups. She belonged to Sigma Theta Tau, Who’s Who in American Nursing, the Monona Women’s Club, and the United Methodist Women. Through these groups, she assisted in community projects, taught Sunday School, provided blood pressure testing at the meal site. She was also a member of the Hasenpfeffer card club since she was in high school and the last original member of the Canasta card club. She was awarded the Professional Practice Award from the American Heart Association of Milwaukee in 1985 and the Wisconsin Nurse of the Year in 1999.
While working and raising her family, she also did the bookwork for her husband’s carpentry business, enjoyed reading and sewed much of her children’s clothing. She is noted for making matching shirts for her husband and sons as well as knitting sweaters and bedspreads and most notably, making her own wedding dress which was made from satin with a taffeta lining and train.
Jean is survived by her children, Steven Bacon (Marion) and Robert Bacon (McGregor); grandchildren, Cory (and Christina) Bacon, Sally Bacon and Bailey Bacon; great grandchildren, Collin, Clare and Harper; brothers-in-law, Jim Drake, Ralph (and wife Linda) Bacon and sisters-in-law, Beverly Bacon and Charlene Bacon; and many nieces and nephews.
Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Donald “Pete” Bacon who passed on June 17, 2006; her parents, Herman and Rita Christofferson; brother, Don (and wife, Lorraine) Christofferson; brothers-in-law, William (and wife, Minerva) Bacon, Allen Bacon and Richard Bacon and sister-in-law, Shirley Drake.
Jean was mentor and instructor to many nurses. She is highly regarded by her coworkers both nurses and physicians.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Monona United Methodist Church or the Murphy Helwig Library.
Special thanks to the M-F-L ambulance service.
A Visitation will be held from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday, December 9, 2022 at Monona United Methodist Church in Monona, Iowa.
Funeral Service will be at 12:00 pm on Friday, December 9, 2022 at Monona United Methodist Church in Monona, Iowa with Pastor Nathan Ferguson as the officiant.
Inurnment will follow at Monona Cemetery in Monona, Iowa.
Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Monona, Iowa is assisting the family.