Jeanne Bice

Who was Jeanne Bice?

Jeanne Bice was an entrepreneur, businesswoman and television personality. Bice was the founder of the Quacker Factory clothing line, which led to frequent appearances on QVC beginning in 1995. Her company, Quacker Factory, has grossed more than $50 million in sales, as of March 2011. She was also a frequent guest on The Soup, appearing opposite host Joel McHale.

Bice was born on July 20, 1939, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where she was also raised. She later moved to the nearby town of Ripon, Wisconsin as an adult. Bice and her husband, Arlow "Butch" Bice Jr., had a son and a daughter, Tim and Lee. She opened her first store, a women's apparel and gift shop called The Silent Woman, with friend Maryanne Diedrich, as a hobby. Her original store, which was bankrolled by both of their husbands, was located at Ransom and East Fond du Lac Streets in Ripon.

Bice's husband, Butch Bice, died of a sudden heart attack in 1981 at the age of 42, leaving her a widow with two children to support. Now a widowed housewife at 40 years old, Bice needed a source of income and had few career skills at the time.