Jean A. Pierce

Jean A. (Bottjen) Pierce, 75, of Prague, Neb., former longtime resident of Sioux City, died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, at her home.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sioux City. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. today at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home in Sioux City.
Jean was born on Feb. 28, 1941, in Moville, Iowa, to Albert and Arline (Wink) Bottjen. She graduated from Kingsley (Iowa) High School and went on to attend Morningside College.
On May 5, 1962, she married James "Jim" Pierce at First Lutheran Church in Kingsley. They made their home in Virginia until Jim's honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1965. They moved to Akron, Iowa, and then relocated to Kingsley for a short time before moving to Sioux City in 1976. Jean worked for a time outside the home until foster parenting became her full time passion.
Survivors include her children, Tamara (Donald) Dey of Nebraska, and Michael (Sheryl) Pierce of Virginia; three granddaughters, Rosemary and Cecilia of Iowa, and Kristina of Virginia; three stepgrandchildren, four great-stepgrandchildren; and two extended family children, Erin (Travis) Robertson, and Jeffrey (Tobi) Rehan and their five children. Jean was a mother to 33 foster babies until their adoption.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim; brother, Neal; and her parents.