January 21, 1917 ~ February 27, 2011, age 94. Predeceased by her beloved husband Garry W.; loving mother of William (Diane), Stephen (JoAnn), Suzanne (Robert); several grandchildren and a great grandchild.
Friends and family are invited to a Memorial Service on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. at Covenant Life Fellowship, 1574 Hennessey Road, Ontario, New York 14519. (315)524-3040. A meal will be served at the church following the service and everyone is invited. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Jennie’s church, Covenant Life Fellowship, which distributes 96 tons of food a year to local residents.
A little about Jennie’s life: She was born Jennie Withers into a family of ten children. As a young woman, Jennie was smitten by a man from a famous vaudevillian family who played the guitar and later owned a stable of horses. He became her husband and lifelong love. They raised a family of three largely in Clarkson, NY and lived in a historic red brick schoolhouse built in the 1800’s. This was their special joy spending cozy evenings in the glow of a crackling fire from their Ponderosa-style fireplace. In the winters they enjoyed snowmobiling. Over the years they moved from horses to a stable of vehicles that included a dune buggy, a jeep, a Chevy Impala, and a Thunderbird. They enjoyed camping and progressed from tents to a travel trailer.
Jennie enjoyed her 23+ years at Eastman Kodak Company. A highlight for her was that she was an important part of the manufacturing process of the film that was used to create the spectacular lunar images.
Jennie loved summers at their cottage on Christie Lake, Ontario, Canada. Activities with the family included boating and waterskiing (in the fastest boat on the lake…a wooden Chris-craft), fishing (and enjoying the pan- fried perch), listening to her daughter play the ukulele on the porch & singing old songs, bathing in the lake, fetching fresh spring water, camping out on the island, fighting bats, buying fresh baked delicacies (breads, pies, tarts, & white chocolate chip cookies) delivered by Nellie, and on rainy days visiting Perth to enjoy hamburgers served at the local Five and Dime and delicious smells wafting from the bakery. Another fond activity was the gigantic euchre games with their neighbors the Rogers.
One notable incident at the lake happened one evening when Jennie & Garry had to expunge the odor of a skunk by dunking “one of their sons” in tomato juice and burying his clothes.
Back home another delight was building snowmen (or encouraging others to build them for her). This was the case this February 13…a surprise and early Valentine’s blessing from her son-in-law. She was a member of the Twig, a volunteer organization that served the local hospital. She enjoyed for many years fellowship with the ladies and opportunities to go to monthly luncheons.
She and Garry enjoyed vacations with their eldest son and his wife from Florida. One special warm weather excursion she had was a trip to Disney World; her family enjoyed watching her childlike wonder which was a treasured moment. She relished the holidays, birthdays and frequent visits with her children and grandchildren at their homes. She had a love for children and animals, especially Maui Grace….a black and white cat. Her good appetite was renowned and she never missed an opportunity to go out to local restaurants or enjoy a homemade meal.
She was a light and a blessing to all who met her. She was always joyful and positive, and appreciated the simplest pleasures of life. A bowl of soup, a few slices of fresh bread, and a cookie had come to mean more in her estimation than a meal at Red Lobster. Most of all, Jennie had a simple, childlike faith which was demonstrated through her unconditional love. Her favorite Psalm was 121 which she had memorized; it was later recognized that was her birth date! Most of all, she knew Jesus loved her; now she is with the One she loves.
Arrangements Kevin W. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc. To send a condolence please visit: www.doughertyfuneralhomes.com