Frances Johanne Ingemann

Services for Frances Johanne Ingemann, 90, Lawrence, will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Inurnment will follow at Pioneer Cemetery at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Ingemann died Sunday, January 28, 2018, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

She was born October 25, 1927, in Trenton, New Jersey, the daughter of Oluf and Margaret Graham Ingemann. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Montclair State Teachers College, a Master’s Degree from Columbia University, and PhD from Indiana University. She moved to Lawrence in 1957 from Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Dr. Ingemann was a distinguished professor at the University of Kansas for 42 years, founding the Linguistics Department in 1967. She was a pioneer in acoustic speech research, and was the first person to formulate rules for speech synthesis. She was inducted into the Kansas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1977.

Frances was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church and loyal Kansas City Royals Fan, holding season tickets for 33 years.

She is survived by a sister, Karla Mayer of Manahawkin, NJ; nephews, Robert Mayer and wife Josephine of Allentown, NJ, Bruce Mayer and wife Mary Ellen of Langhorne, PA; great nieces and nephews, Johanne Mayer of Allentown, NJ, Elizabeth Mayer of Allentown, NJ, Katherine Mayer of Somerville, NJ, Margaret Smith and husband Bryan of Forked River, NJ, Erik Mayer of Langhorne, PA, Susan Hilton and husband Brandon of Boynton Beach, FL, Jonathan Mayer and wife Colleen of Willow Grove, PA; great great nephew, Ryan Mayer of Willow Grove, PA.

Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory, where the family will receive them from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the Frances Ingemann Linguistics Scholarship, sent in care of the funeral home.