Fay Layne, 89, died July 1, 2003, at Hamilton Hospital in Webster City. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Asbury United Methodist Church, with burial at Graceland Cemetery in Webster City. Visitation is from 9 a.m. until the time of service Saturday at the church. Fay Maxine Layne, daughter of Hannon and Nellie Hocker Layne, was born December 6, 1913, in Tampico, Montana. She moved with her family to Hamilton County in 1919. She attended a rural school, south of Webster City. This building now stands at Bonebright Park. She earned a B. A. from Iowa State Teachers College and taught at West Bend, New Hartford, and Keokuk. She received an M. A. in curriculum and supervision from the University of Minnesota in 1946 and was an instructor in the Department of Mathematics at Iowa State Teachers College from 1946 through 1948. For six years, she taught seventh and eighth grade mathematics at the Laboratory School at the University of Chicago. Due to illness in her family, she returned to Webster City, where she served as Educational Consultant for Hamilton County for seven years and Elementary Supervisor for the Webster City school system for six years. In 1969, she received a Specialist Degree with emphasis in special education from the Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.
Prior to her retirement in 1979, she spent eleven years as an instruction and education diagnostician and special class consultant in learning disabilities for Black Hawk County and Area Education Agency 7 in Cedar Falls. While there, she coauthored a Pre-Academic Inventory for young children. This book is published by Academic Therapy. Fay Layne is survived by several cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Bonnie June Layne in 1977. She was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church and her church activities included, past treasurer of the United Methodist Women, Ruth Circle, past chairman of the Asbury Music and Worship communities, taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, served in the Board of Stewards, past chairman of the Memorials committee, Fellowship Group, Administrative Board, and the Adult Forum. Other organizations were past president of the Webster City Business and Professional Women, past president of the Hamilton County Education Association, past secretary of the Hamilton County Mental Health Association, past president of Delta Kappa Gamma, League of Women Voters, and American Association of University Women, vice-president and program chairman of the State Convention for the Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities during 1980, state president and state newsletter editor of the Iowa Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities in 1981, Iowa State Education Association, and the National Education Association. She also enjoyed reading and traveling.
Copyright Des Moines Register, July 4, 2003, page 7A.