When we think about Steve Jobs and his amazing success with Apple, we usually remember the products he created and the companies he built. But behind this famous person was a woman who made one of the hardest choices a mother can make. Her name was Joanne Schieble, and this is her story.
Quick Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Joanne Carole Schieble Simpson |
| Born | August 1, 1932, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA |
| Died | January 19, 2018, in California, USA (Age 85) |
| Parents | Arthur Schieble and Irene Schieble |
| Education | University of Wisconsin-Madison (Speech Pathology) |
| Profession | Speech-Language Pathologist |
| Children | Steve Jobs (1955-2011) and Mona Simpson (born 1957) |
| Known For | Being Steve Jobs’ biological mother |
| Marriages | Abdulfattah Jandali (1955-1962), George Simpson |
Early Life in Wisconsin
Joanne Carole Schieble was born on August 1, 1932, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She grew up in a traditional Catholic family with German and Swiss roots. Her parents, Arthur and Irene Schieble, raised her with strong religious beliefs and clear family values.
Life in the 1930s and 1940s was not easy. Joanne grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. Her family believed in hard work, good education, and following the rules. Like most families at that time, they expected young women to get married and take care of their homes.
But Joanne was different. She was smart and wanted to learn more. She loved education and dreamed of doing something meaningful with her life.
Going to College
Joanne made a brave choice for a young woman in the 1950s. She decided to go to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study speech pathology. This field helps people who have problems with speaking and communication.
At that time, most women did not go to college. Society expected them to stay home and prepare for marriage. But Joanne wanted more. She believed education was important and wanted to help others.
Meeting Abdulfattah Jandali
While studying at university, Joanne met a young man named Abdulfattah Jandali. Everyone called him John. He was a graduate student from Syria who was studying political science. He came to America to get his education and build a better life.
Joanne and John fell in love. They were both intelligent and had big dreams. However, their relationship faced serious problems. In the 1950s, most people in America did not accept relationships between people from different cultures and religions. Joanne was a white American Catholic woman, and John was a Muslim man from the Middle East.
Joanne’s father was very strict. He did not approve of their relationship at all. He told Joanne that if she stayed with John, he would stop talking to her and she would not be part of the family anymore. This made Joanne feel terrible because she loved both John and her family.
The Birth of Steve Jobs
On February 24, 1955, Joanne gave birth to a baby boy in San Francisco, California. She was only 23 years old. Even though she loved her baby, she knew she could not give him the life he deserved.
Joanne made one clear demand: the baby must be adopted by parents who went to college. She believed education was the key to a good life, and she wanted her son to have every chance to succeed.
At first, a lawyer and his wife were supposed to adopt the baby. But at the last minute, they decided they wanted a girl instead. So the baby went to Paul and Clara Jobs, a working-class couple. Neither of them had finished college.
When Joanne heard this, she was worried. She almost refused to sign the adoption papers. But Paul and Clara promised her that they would send the boy to college. Only after they gave her this promise did Joanne finally agree. The baby was named Steven Paul Jobs.
Life After Adoption
After giving up her baby, Joanne went back to Wisconsin. Six months later, her father died. This changed everything. Without her father’s strong disapproval, Joanne and John got married in December 1955.
In 1957, they had a daughter together. Her name was Mona Simpson. Unlike Steve, Mona grew up with her mother. Joanne raised Mona and gave her all the love and care she could.
However, Joanne’s marriage to John did not last. They divorced in 1962, just a few years after getting married. Life as a single mother was hard, but Joanne was strong. She worked as a speech therapist, helping children and adults with communication problems.
Later, Joanne married a man named George Simpson. Both she and Mona took his last name. When that marriage also ended in divorce around 1970, Joanne moved to Los Angeles with Mona and raised her daughter on her own. She focused on her work and family, living a quiet and private life.
Meeting Steve Jobs Again
For more than 30 years, Joanne thought about the baby boy she had given up. She wondered what happened to him and if he was happy. She always hoped he got the education she wanted for him.
In the 1980s, something amazing happened. Steve Jobs, who had become famous as the co-founder of Apple, hired someone to find his birth mother. In 1986, Steve found Joanne.
The meeting was emotional for both of them. Steve was not angry with his mother. He understood why she made her choice. Through this reunion, Steve also discovered that he had a sister, Mona Simpson.
Steve and Joanne built a relationship slowly. It was not always easy, and they were not always close, but they stayed in touch. Steve also became close with Mona. The three of them spent time together at family events.
In his famous 2005 speech at Stanford University, Steve Jobs talked about his adoption. He thanked his birth mother for insisting that he be adopted by college-educated parents. He said this focus on education helped shape his life.
Joanne’s Later Years
Joanne Schieble lived a quiet life, away from cameras and reporters. She never wanted fame or attention. She worked as a speech-language pathologist for many years, helping others communicate better. This showed her caring nature and desire to make a difference.
As she got older, Joanne stayed close to her daughter Mona and kept in touch with Steve. She attended some family gatherings but always preferred to stay private. When Steve Jobs died in 2011, it was a sad time for Joanne. She had lost the son she once gave up and then found again.
Joanne Schieble Simpson passed away on January 19, 2018, at the age of 85. She lived through many changes in American society and technology. Although she never worked in technology or business, her early decision had a huge effect on the world.
Conclusion
Joanne Schieble may not be a famous name, but her story is powerful and important. She was a woman who faced impossible choices and made them with courage and love. Her decision to give Steve Jobs a chance at a better life changed not just his future, but the future of technology and millions of people around the world. Her legacy reminds us that sometimes the greatest acts of love require the hardest sacrifices.
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