William G. Jamison
William G. Jamison
Cedar Rapids
Dr. William G. Jamison, a resident of Meth-Wick Community, Cedar Rapids, died on Monday, June 3, 2024. Bill Jamison’s body was deeded to the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa and transferred to Iowa City by Teahen Funeral Home.
On February 14, 1923, William G. Jamison was born to James and Eula Jamison in St. Anthony, Idaho. Later that year, the family moved to San Diego, California, where Jamison attended public school and studied at San Diego State College.
He joined the Marines in 1943 before transferring to the Navy to become a pilot. He became ill with polio and was discharged from the Navy in 1945 after convalescing in Warm Springs, Ga., where he had the opportunity to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
After serving his country, Jamison earned his B.A. at the University of Southern California, where he met Martha Jane Etters of Harrisburg, Pa. Bill and Jane were married in 1947 and had three sons: Bill (Alaine), John (Donna), and Jim (Betty); and one daughter: Sally. Bill and Jane also had seven granddaughters: Heather, Holly, Nicole (Gerry), Tressa (Adam), Rachel, Jennifer (Marc), and Christine (Jakub); three great-grandsons: Luke, Leo, and Emerson; and two great-granddaughters: Lucy and Leah.
Jamison obtained his M.S. at Penn State University, where he taught sociology, and earned his Ed.D. at the University of Colorado. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1956 and obtained his B.D. from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.
Jamison taught for 25 years at various colleges and universities, including Pacific Theological College in Suva, Fiji, and 20 years at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, which honored him with the title of Professor Emeritus. He also took two sabbatical leaves to serve two parishes in New Zealand.
Jamison served as interim pastor of several Iowa Presbyterian and Congregational parishes.
For 11 years, he served as a parole officer, supervisor, and assistant director in the First Judicial Department of Correctional Services. He wrote a book based upon his experiences, “East of Eden in Criminal Justice.”
Jamison was active in the National Railway Historical Society and enjoyed volunteering on the Hawkeye Express in Iowa City. He volunteered at the emergency desk at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Jamison continued serving others as a lifetime member of the NAACP, the Sierra Club, and a member of American Legion Post 671. Previously, he served as the President of the Board of Bethany Home in Dubuque and was on the Dubuque Symphony Board of Directors.
His beloved wife, Jane, died in 2003. Later, he married Kathryn Mills of Cedar Rapids, who died in 2018.
Instead of a memorial service:
Grandpa said he’d own
a Dairy Queen when grown up.
Have a cone for him.
Please direct any memorial gifts to Hillcrest Family Services, Quakerdale Family Services, or Camp Bear Creek.
And stay out of mischief!