Jeanine Vandegeest

I was born and raised in Oskaloosa. My parents were Andy and Mae Vandegeest. I had a brother, Daryl Vandegeest and a sister, Jan Vandegeest (Padgett). After high school I married Robert DeBoef of New Sharon and we farmed north of Oskaloosa. We had three daughters, Melissa, Allison, and Robbyn. After Bob's and my divorce, I decided I needed to do something for a better future. I graduated from William Penn 20 years after high school graduation with a BA in Mathematics, Accounting & Business Management and Secondary Education for Mathematics, Accounting, Business  Management and Business Law. During my pursuit of a teaching contract, I did clerical accounting for local manufacturing companies.  I was offered a permanent position as an Accounting Supervisor. I took the job and my career continued in management accounting for the next thirty years. Most of my career I lived in the West Des Moines area. From1998 to 2002 I incorporated consulting with accounting and analysis and managed computer software installation at several manufacturing companies in Iowa converting software to be Y2K compliant. While living in West Des Moines, my hobby jobs were teaching Algebra and Accounting to freshmen and nontraditional students for Des Moines Area Community College and as Office Manager for the Greenberg's Jewelry store at Valley West Mall evenings and weekends. In 2004 I moved to Newton, Kansas to be close to my daughter, Melissa, her husband and my first grandchild, Jake! I retired from my position as Controller for a railroad manufacturing company in Newton, Kansas in 2010 and moved to Oskaloosa.  Melissa and her family had already moved back to Iowa and my daughter, Robbyn, was married, farmed north of Oskaloosa and had three babies & toddlers. I started a childcare business in my home with my daughter, Allison. I also did some Consulting/Accounting at this time, leading to employment at Vermeer in Pella until retiring again in 2020.