Jacqueline Telford Obituary

Jacqueline “Jackie” Telford age 96, of Rock Rapids, IA died suddenly at Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital in Rock Rapids, IA.

Visitation will be on Monday, June 9th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with the family present at Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids.

Funeral service will be 10:30 AM, Tuesday, June 10th at the United Christian Church in Rock Rapids, IA, with Pastor Corilee Boer officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids.

In lieu of flowers memorial may be directed to: Sanford Hospice and/or Rapids Theatre Preservation Society.

Jacqueline Jeanne Doty was born April 29, 1929, in Bothell, Washington, the daughter of Lloyd and Doris Doty. She attended a two-room country school in the North Creek Valley community through the fourth grade. In 1937 the family moved to Hawarden, Iowa, where her parents operated a restaurant. In 1939 they moved to Rock Rapids, Iowa to own and operate Doty's Cafe On the Corner.

All during her school years, Jacqueline was active in musical and academic activities. She loved being in choir, glee club and band, playing cornet and violin solos in music contests, joining others in small instrumental and vocal groups, and accompanying many classmates in their solos.

She was in Girl Scouts and was very active in her church, Christian Church (Disciples). She graduated from Rock Rapids High School in 1946 and shortly thereafter married Charles Telford, her high school sweetheart. They had two children, a daughter, Michele, and a son, Robert.

During her married life, Jacqueline continued to be active in church and community affairs. She has been the organist for her church since 1948 and continued in that position until the time of her passing. She has also been accompanist for community church choirs and River Valley Players musicals. She played violin in the Sioux Falls Town and Gown Orchestra through it's transition to the Sioux Falls Symphony and the South Dakota Symphony from 1944 to 1981. She was a Brownie Scout leader and a Cub Scout den mother. She especially enjoyed joining in her children's many activities and had many young piano students.

In 1966 Jacqueline became manager of Doris Doty Casuals dress shop, a ladies' ready-to-wear store in Rock Rapids, which her mother, Doris Doty, owned. During that time, she was the first woman on the Rock Rapids Community Affairs Corporation's board of directors and was its president in 1972. She was a member of the Rock Rapids Business Women's organization and a member and past president of Chapter Al, P.E.O.

Jacqueline and her husband, Chuck, became active bicyclists in 1979. They trained and began going on RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa in that year and continued this for 20 years.

In 2008 Jacqueline sold Doris Doty Casuals dress shop and began her years of retirement, but stayed active in the life of the community. She also kept her passion for music by teaching young music students the art of playing the violin and piano well into her 90s. In 2010 she, along with several others, became interested in restoring the empty Rapids Theatre building. This became her primary focus until the present time.

In 2013 her husband, Chuck, entered the nursing home and she spent part of every day with him. He passed away Apri1 6,2018.

Jacqueline is survived by her daughter, Michele, 5 grandchildren: Jeff (Allison) Riter, Chad (Cindy) Riter, Aimee (Brian) Fish, Rob (Mandy) Telford, Terrie (Josh) Crowell, 11 great-grandchildren: Brogan (Rachael) Riter, Bailie and Ben Riter, Hunter and Hailey Riter, Anna & Kirsten Fish, Seth and Kole Telford, Isabelle and Carter Crowell; and a great-great-grandson, Landon Riter.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Chuck, parents, Lloyd and Doris Doty, mother-in-law, Helen McLaughlin, son Robert L. Telford and son-in-law Dick Benesh.