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Obituary

Janithe Elizabeth (Propst) Lewis, age 102, died Friday, November 25, 2022, at her home at The Woodlands, Meth-Wick Community in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Cedar Rapids, where visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service. Pastor Sherry Ilg will officiate. Interment will be held in Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Iowa.

Janithe Elizabeth Propst was born July 23, 1920, on the family farm in Union Township, west of Iowa City, Iowa, to Myrtle (Finch) and William L. Propst. She was the oldest of four children. She grew up on the farm, attending high school in Iowa City. She graduated from City High School in 1937 and from the University of Iowa in 1941 with a degree in Dietetics. She served her internship in dietetics at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati and then worked at the same hospital for another year. She returned to Iowa City and worked at Mercy Hospital for 16 months. On December 2, 1944, she married Ted P. Lewis of Sac City, Iowa, a 1943 graduate of University of Iowa Law School, whom she had met in freshman English class. They moved to Oak Park, Illinois where she worked as a dietitian at Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park, Illinois. In 1950, the couple moved to Cedar Rapids when Ted Lewis joined the then Iowa Electric Light and Power Company. At the invitation of their neighbors, Dorothy and Howard McKnight, they joined St Paul’s United Methodist Church. A connection there led her to employment as a dietitian at St. Luke’s Methodist Hospital, where she worked as the Executive Dietitian until her retirement in July 1982. During her career at St. Luke’s and while raising her two children, Karen and Kent Lewis, she also maintained a full schedule of professional and volunteer activities. She was president of the PTA at Wright School from 1958-1959; president of the Iowa Dietetic Association in 1964; Secretary of the Cedar Rapids Home Economists Association in 1963; and Chairwoman of the St. Paul’s Methodist WSCS.

Following her retirement in 1982, she and Ted enjoyed gathering with friends to play bridge and golf, wintering in Scottsdale, Arizona and traveling to visit family and friends. They also made several overseas trips to England, Germany and Hawaii. Following Ted’s death on May 15, 1993, she continued to volunteer with her church community and to travel, visiting Australia, New Zealand, England and France and family and friends in California and Nevada. She moved to Greenwood at the Meth-Wick Community in March 2004 where she enjoyed time with friends, volunteering and many hours each week playing bridge and gin rummy. Throughout her lifetime, her community of friends at St. Paul’s Church were a constant source of companionship, comfort and support. She volunteered for many years at the Holiday Fair, the Thrift Mart, and preparing meals for weddings and funerals—anywhere there was a need, she would willingly step in to help.

Janithe is survived by her daughter, Karen (Bruce) Cyr of Kensington, MD; son, Kent (Gretchen) Lewis of Burlington, IA; grandson, Sean (Cheril) Lewis of Leland, NC; grandson, Ethan (Anli Su) Lewis of Taipei, Taiwan; great-grandson, Kai Jun Lewis; granddaughter, Lisl (Noel) Zamora, of Maplewood, MN; great-grandson, Jared Zamora; and nieces and nephews on both her and Ted’s side of their family. She was predeceased by her husband, her parents, her sisters, Betty L. (Propst) Lacina, Dorothy Propst, and her brother, Lloyd Propst.

Memorials may be given in her name to St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1340 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52403 or Camp Courageous, PO Box 418, Monticello, IA 52310-0418; campcourageous.org.
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