Visitation will be held Friday, October 25, 2019, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Iowa City from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.

Colleen wished for memorials to be directed to St. Patrick Church, Iowa City Hospice or Macular Degeneration Research, c/o The U of I Foundation (memorial donations may be sent c/o Lensing Funeral Service, P.O. Box 167, Iowa City, Iowa, 52244-0167).

Colleen was born August 27, 1931, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Florence (Brazzill) Sehr Jr., of Sharon Center, Iowa.

Colleen lived in Sharon Center and attended Willow Grove Rural School. She graduated from Iowa City High School in 1949. She attended Drake University. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education and M.A. in Special Education from the University of Iowa.

Colleen taught in Johnson County Rural Schools, Solon Community Schools, and Charnley Palisades School in Pacific Palisades, California. She returned to Solon to field test and set up one of the first of fifteen special education resource rooms in the state of Iowa. While teaching at Solon, Colleen was a consulting teacher for special education teachers in Johnson and Washington counties in conjunction with the Special Education Curriculum Development Center at the University of Iowa. After this successful venture, she was employed as the first educational consultant in Area Education Agency (AEA) 6 in Marshalltown, Iowa to spearhead setting up resource rooms in 22 school districts. She was a special education consultant for over twenty years. Upon her retirement in 1993, the Colleen Sehr Award was established by the Iowa Department of Education to be given each year to the most outstanding special education consultant in the state.

Colleen returned to Iowa City after her retirement. She rejoined St. Patrick Church where she was baptized. She was a charter member of the Iowa City High School Alumni Association, member of the Delta Kappa Gamma, God’s Helping Hands, the mock jury with the University of Iowa Law College, Johnson County Retired School Personnel and The University Club.

Colleen dearly loved helping people, especially children. She had a special gift working with all children, especially those with special needs, whether learning disabled or those with emotional needs. As a special education teacher and consultant, she worked with students from kindergarten through 12th grade. She was especially proud of helping Clarice Brennan for over 30 years to reach unbelievable goals.

Colleen was preceded in death by her mother in 1939, and her brother in 2006.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Anita Sehr, of Sharon Center; nephew, Jerry Sehr and his children, Kelsey, Nicholas, Kate and Jordan, of Iowa City.

She is also survived by many dear, dear friends, who were so very kind to her, especially Irene Ruhland, Barbara Moses, Keith Oleson, Kathy Grout, Katie Moore and above all, her dearest friend and wonderful helper, Clarice Brennan