Born in 1918, on a farm in southern Nebraska, she and her family would later suffer through the Depression and several droughts. In 1938 she married her high school sweetheart, Chet Renner, and they headed for "greener pastures" in north central Iowa. Starting out as house maid and farm hand, they eventually rented their own land east of Klemme and settled in for the next 40 years.
Ina Mae loved gardening and flowers, baking, church work, 4-H leadership, and playing the piano and singing with her children.
She found the ISU Extension Service of Hancock County to be a valuable source of knowledge to the community and volunteered to help in many of their projects.
Ina Mae always encouraged her children to get a college education and she saved and sacrificed to provide financial assistance toward that goal.
All three children graduated from I.S. U.:
Jane L. Renner Greimann in Textiles and Clothing, 1964; William S. Renner in Animal Science, 1966;
Thomas C. Renner in Farm Operations, 1970
Ina Mae died in 1984 at the age of 65, but her "spirit and ideals" lived on. All ten of her grandchfldren would seek a college education, three at I.S.U.
Sue R. Renner Gilland, 1989
Angela Renner Best, 1992
Brent T. Renner. 5/22/95 |
