Elizabeth (Bess) Kane Elizabeth (Bess) Kane passed on to eternal life on Sunday, October 16 at the age of 107 at Accura Health in Cascade, Iowa.

She was born Bessie Colleen on December 26, 1914 in La Porte City, Iowa, the youngest daughter of William S. Sawyer and Anna (Simons) Sawyer. She was a graduate of La Porte City High School. In the summer of 1937, she was united in marriage to John "Jay" Kane of Dubuque, Iowa. Bess dedicated her life to family and the community. During WWII she served in one of the first daycare facilities in Bremerton, Washington. In 1965, she and Jay moved to Oregon to join Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty." Bess became a Head Start teacher and Jay served as a counselor in the Job Corps. They later returned to the Midwest where Bess became a teaching assistant at St. Patrick's Grade School. Bess and Jay enjoyed their years in Bernard until Jay's death in 1973. Throughout her years she was active in St. Mary's Choir, Altar Society, Cascade Women's Club, Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, and Sweet Adelines.

Her grandchildren marvel at her range of experiences and travel. Bess recalled childhood memories of the celebration of the end of WWI and later, as a young mom, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She traveled extensively in the American West, the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Korea.

Bess is survived by her children Colleen Welper, Patricia Nehrbass, John Kane, Michael (Kathleen) Kane, and Mary Darnieder, her nine grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, John (Jay) Kane, brothers, Donald (Mary Lou) Sawyer, Clayton, Carl and Cleo Sawyer, sisters, Ruth Fish and Margaret (Maggie) Teeter, her sons in law Del Welper and Don Darnieder, and a grandson, David Welper.

Services for Bess will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, October 27th, 2022 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Garryowen, Iowa, with Rev. Mark Osterhaus officiating. Visitation will be before the services beginning at 9:30 A.M. at St. Patrick's. Burial will follow the services in St. Patrick's Cemetery. The Reiff Funeral Home, Cascade, Iowa is assisting the family.  Anyone unable to attend may send memorials to Reiff Funeral Home, ATTN; Elizabeth Kane family,  P.O. Box #430, Cascade, Iowa 52033

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.reifffuneralhomeinc.com