Jonquil (Joni) G. Short, 96, of Britt, formerly of Audubon, passed away peacefully on February 27, 2026, at the Kanawha Community Home in Kanawha.
Jonquil, the adopted daughter and “Chosen Child” of Robert Chester and Effie Leone (Smith) Mitcheltree, was born on April 7, 1929, in Omaha, Nebraska. She completed her education at Spencer High School and pursued further studies at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri and then at the University of Iowa, where she was actively involved in the Delta Gamma Sorority. On December 17, 1950, she was united in marriage to Fred Short at the First Congregational Church in Spencer. Together, they created a loving home in Estherville, where they raised six children. Following their time in Estherville, they moved to Shenandoah and then Audubon. After Fred’s passing in November 2014, Jonquil remained in Audubon until relocating to the Summit House in Britt in July 2015 to be closer to her family. Jonquil cherished her family and was known for her love of playing cards and as a lady who loved books and cats. She was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
She was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon. During their time in Audubon, Jonquil and Fred contributed to the community by delivering Meals on Wheels for many years. Jonquil also volunteered in the Audubon Schools and at the Audubon Library. She was awarded for her volunteer service by the State of Iowa.
Jonquil is survived by her six children, Jill Olson (John) of South Bend, IN; Debra Schmidt (Ron) of Woden; Robert Short (Moira) of Roseville, CA; Rebecca (Short) Fahey of Cedar Rapids; Tom Short (Debbie) of Lenox; and Chris Short of Carnegie, PA. Jonquil is also survived by her grandchildren Erik Olson, Nicholas Schmidt, Heather Zlatek, Tyler Schmidt, Evan Olson, Connor Short, Meaghan Swingen, Kelsey Klein, Emma Rawson, Robbie Short, Nicklaus Short, Adam Short and Sophia Short. In addition, Jonquil is survived by her twelve great-grandchildren Alejandro, Kennedy, Adelina, Oliver, Natalie, Hannah, Cooper, Lauren, Benjamin, Charlie, Hallie and Adrian.
She was preceded in death by her husband Fred; parents; brother Ted Mitcheltree; son-in-law Gene Fahey; grandson Matthew Schmidt; and granddaughter Stephanie Olson.
A Celebration of Life service for Jonquil will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 11, 2026, at First Congregational Church in Spencer. The family will greet friends beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the church. Jonquil will be interred at Riverside Cemetery in Spencer. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Child Saving Institute (CSI) in Omaha, Nebraska; Humane Society of North Iowa in Mason City; or Hospice of St. Croix in Mason City.
The funeral will be livestreamed at: https://youtube.com/live/sVvt6jVeOIk
