Ina was born during World War II in 1943 outside of Munich. Her mother was evacuated to the mountains, and her father was a prisoner of war in the U.S. When she was three or four years old, the family moved to Stuttgart into the grandparents’ home. There was a eurythmist down the street, and Ina got to do eurythmy with a group of toddlers.

The Waldorf School reopened, thanks to the U.S. officers stationed in Stuttgart. The classrooms were old U.S. military barracks. Ina started school in 1950, with 54 children in one class and one teacher. She has fond memories of the trips her family took to Greece, Norway, Italy, and other places, always camping and meeting different cultures. After finishing grade 12, she worked for years in a carpenter shop, then worked with a teacher in woodwork at the Munich Waldorf School. Afterward, she enrolled at the Art Academy in Stuttgart, where she received her teacher certificate. During the summers, she helped with youth trips—three times to Ireland and two times to Italy.

In 1966, Ina married Diethart Jaehnig, a Christian Community priest. During that time, they traveled to Russia. In 1971, they moved to Colorado with two young children. The first service was held at Christmas in 1971. Shortly afterward, they started a small kindergarten group in their living room. In the evenings, they spoke to parents about education.

In 1974, Joan Condon and the Jaehnigs began Michaelmas at the official Denver Waldorf School. Their first location was at Harvey Park, and after two years, they moved to the Episcopal Church on Colorado Blvd and 1st. After one year, they moved to East Florida. Meanwhile, the Jaehnig family had a third child. While Ina was teaching full time at the school, the chapel was built with volunteers who lived at their house. A great struggle erupted among the teachers, which resulted in the splitting of the school, but the situation was helped after two years.

Since 1974, Diethart and Ina had hosted summer camps. The two were invited to Africa for a month. In 1991, Diethart passed away. In the early 90s, Ina’s child Jan and she started high school. Around that time, she was invited to become a member of the pedagogical section and to join the AWSNA board. In 1996, Ina lost her youngest son in a dramatic event. She was invited to teach at R.S. College in Sacramento, where she taught until its closure a few years ago. She also had the exciting opportunity to teach in the Philippines, China, Malaysia, and Alaska, with these sessions taking place in the summers. She also loved going on 12th-grade trips to Australia and several times to Europe.

Now, Ina still gets to teach classes at The Denver Waldorf School and in Eugene. She is thankful that the many good hands, hearts, and heads continue to hold and guide the school well.