Jeannie (Halagiere) Heuer

Jeannie E. (Halagiere) Heuer passed away May 16, 2014, at Bloomington Hospital holding the hand of Alan, her beloved husband. She was born on Jan. 5, 1949 as one of twins (Jane Elaine and Jean Eileen). She earned an M.A. in English in 1984. She then taught English at Southeast Missouri State University, there met and married the love of her life, Alan Heuer. They moved to Bloomington from Missouri in 1991 following her wish to become "Auntie Jeannie" to her nieces and nephews, which she did in exemplary, honest and deeply loving fashion. She spent the next 20 years teaching Grammar and Literature at Ivy Tech in Bloomington to her many students whose education she was devoted to. Her students said of her: "Wonderful teacher,…Great stories…. Funny…Very strict in her English and expectations and ALWAYS willing to help". Jean Heuer was Ivy Tech Bloomington's longest serving English faculty member, and during her more than 20 years of service at Ivy Tech taught well over 1000 students English composition and literature. Her legacy at Ivy Tech includes development of a short story class, which remains Ivy Tech Bloomington's most popular literature class. Jean was well loved by Ivy Tech students, faculty, and staff for her positive attitude, her kindness, and her intellectual clarity. Jean was one of Ivy Tech's most treasured instructors from 1991 until her retirement this month. She consistently taught her English classes with enthusiasm, passion and compassion. She treated her students as individuals, serving as a role model for their choosing a field where they could "make a difference", as she did in every class with every student. She loved to bake her own recipe of homemade bread, work in her 40-pot kitchen garden (Alan is continuing the planting as Jeannie planned) and make homemade pesto from her herbs, tend her overwintering geraniums and ferns, read lots and lots of literature (Books were her other great love), study the Gospels with her friend Ann and sister Jane, enjoy regular "haunts" with her Ivy Tech "buddy" of twenty years Jan, and canoe the lake (another` favorite is Greene-Sullivan's Airline Lake) and walk at Yellow Wood Park's pine forest with her husband. She and Alan also spent many delightful times at McCormicks Creek sitting at Echo Canyon in folding chairs listening to the falling water and children, reading, of course, and occasionally dozing to sleep in that beautiful setting. She supported her sometimes eccentric husband's fascinations with "Little Trains", as she very lovingly called his model railroading hobby, and even tolerated with misgivings but typical grace his other fascination with scuba diving. She was loved by all of Alan's friends as she was her own. She retired from Ivy Tech just five days ago. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Lenore Halagiere, and, just two months ago, by her beloved brother, Larry Halagiere. She is survived by her husband, Alan Heuer, her twin, Jane Martin (Patrick) of Bloomington; Jane's three children who she helped raise (She was "Auntie Jeannie"), Abbey Martin (Joe), Jean Martin Mensz (Jan), Wesley Martin; and sister, Carolyn Lengh (Robert), niece Arianne Lengh Scott (Michael, son Liam); niece Heather Billings (Brian, children Isabella, Lainey, Alex); nephew Josh Halagiere (Rene, children Gavin, Lydia). Her quiet strength and dignity, boundless compassion and unending love will live on. Visitation will be at Allen Funeral Home (4155 S. Old State Road 37) from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm Tuesday May 20. A short Mass for Jeannie will be performed at Trinity Episcopal, at Noon, Wednesday May 21. Friends can send condolences to www.allenfuneralhome.org

Tributes

Jeannie (Halagiere) Heuer

January 5, 1949 - May 16, 2014