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Bob and Jerene Barlow
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Robert W. Barlow was born on January 20, 1920, in Dumont, Iowa, the only son of Stephen and Eva (Sherwood) Barlow. He graduated from Dumont High School, the Hamilton School of Business and the Wisconsin School of Banking.
He married Jerene F. Barlow on May 23, 1942 and, after serving fifty-one months in the U. S. Army in various locations in the U. S. and Puerto Rico, they returned to Dumont where Bob worked in the Dumont State Bank. In the fall of 1950, he started at the Iowa Falls State Bank. He became president in 1953 and continued in that position until his death on March 5, 1995.
Bob was an important part of the Iowa Falls community. He served on the city council, was school board treasurer for many years, president of the Lions Club and a 45-year member, a key organizer and former president of the Industrial Development Corporation, a 40-year trustee of the American Legion, a member of St. Mark's Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus for 45 years. He was especially proud of his support of Ellsworth College, the local elementary and high school, Ellsworth Hospital and Edgewood Place.
His wife Jerene carried on his efforts until her death in 2001; now the Barlow Family Foundation seeks to continue the philanthropy of the family with local grants in the areas of art, education and health.
Jerene F. Barlow
Jerene F. Dunn was born on November 6, 1914, in Marshall County, Iowa, the daughter of Arthur and Nelle (Lawler) Dunn. She graduated from State Teachers College (UNI) in Cedar Falls and taught school in St. Anthony and then Dumont, where she met Robert Barlow.
They married on May 23, 1942, and she moved around with her husband as he was stationed at various Army bases during World War II. In 1950, they moved to Iowa Falls where Bob began working in the Iowa Falls State Bank.
Jerene was actively involved in many aspects of the bank and also a strong supporter of many organizations in Iowa Falls. She was especially active in Edgewood Place, the Robert W. Barlow Memorial Library, St. Mark's Catholic Church and Ellsworth Hospital where she volunteered in the gift shop. Until Jerene's death on December 19, 2001 she was a prominent member of the Iowa Falls community, always ready to support local projects and institutions. Since her death, the Barlow Family Foundation has attempted to take her place in continuing to promote and maintain the areas in which she was most interested: the arts, education and health.