Jeanne L. McCanless
Jeanne L. McCanless
Oskaloosa. Jeanne L. McCanless, 78, of Oskaloosa, died Wednesday, November 17, 2010, at her home near Oskaloosa. She was born October 8, 1932, at Clinton, Iowa, the daughter of Clarence and Fern Slaughter Sherman. Jeanne graduated from the Clinton (IA) High School, and the University of Iowa, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree. While at Iowa, she met her future husband, Alton McCanless, and on August 15, 1954, they were united in marriage at Clinton. She had many talents, no doubt from her German lineage, and learned string instrument repairing while playing viola in the Ottumwa Heights string orchestra along with her husband and three children.
She began teaching classes in various needlework skills in her kitchen and later opened The Needleworks store on South Market Street in Oskaloosa. They purchased an acreage south of Oskaloosa and started a business in fiber production called Mostly Mohair. They had seven sheep, a few milk goats, but mostly were Angoras. At one time, she had 51 angora goats on their acreage, and all of them had names and comprised ‘her second family’. She marketed her yarns at exhibitions for spinning and weaving shows, and taught many classes in knitting, tatting, and spinning in Fairfield at the At Home Store. She researched many systems of fabric and spinning wheels and became a consultant to many knitters.
Her family includes her husband, Alton McCanless of Oskaloosa; a son: Jamie McCanless (& Kashmir Wolf) of Madison, Wisconsin and a daughter: Wendy Frances (& Greg) Winz of Dodgeville, Wisconsin; and a brother: Roger (& Katherine) Sherman of Pryor, Oklahoma.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and a son: Michael (The Fiddler) McCanless.
As was her wish, she has been cremated and no formal ceremony is planned. However, the family will be at the Bates Funeral Chapel on Saturday, November 20, 2010, from 2 – 4 p.m. to greet friends and relatives. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Her epitaph should be “Wave your needles and spin your wheels. The pain is gone.” Her legacy lives on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
Source: Bates Funeral Chapel
