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Jeanne Dousman Vielbig
Jeanne Dousman Vielbig, a longtime resident of the East End, died at Eastern Long Island Hospital, on August 17, three weeks shy of her 98th birthday.
Born September 11, 1913, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Jeanette and Donald James Dousman, she was the eldest of three children.
A lifelong learner, she was accepted to the University of Kansas at 16, graduating a few years later. Her enthusiasm for knowledge never waned.
She married Leonard E. Vielbig and they spent more than 50 years together before his death in 1984. They raised three children, Patricia Hubbard of Ohio, Peter of Shelter Island, and Roger of Washington, instilling in them a love of nature and all things connected with the water. She lived in North Haven for 45 years before moving to Peconic Landing in Greenport in 2004. For many years she was the legal secretary for her husband Leonard’s law practice. She also worked for the Rockville Centre School District.
An inveterate crossword puzzler, a gourmet cook whose recipes inspired a family cookbook, and a gifted wordsmith, she was very active in local politics, the Sag Harbor Historical Society and several East End Trail Associations. She was active in the Old Whalers’ Presbyterian Church, where she taught Sunday School and served as a docent for the church’s historical committee. In recognition of her conservation efforts, the Jeanne D. Vielbig Loop Trail was dedicated to her in North Haven.
Nicknamed “The Snapper” because of her penchant for photographing every family event over the last 80 years, she leaves a legacy of thousands of unsorted photos that will keep her family busy well into the next decade.
She adored her family and, in addition to her children, she is survived by 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren as well as her daughters-in-law, Gail, of Shelter Island and Wenda, of Washington.
A memorial service will be held on October 8, at 1 p.m. at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Mashomack Preserve, The Nature Conservancy, P.O. Box 850, Shelter Island, N Y 11964.
on Sep 13, 2011