She was born on January 03, 1918 in Chilton, Wisconsin. Jeanette Steffes, or Jean as she was known to everyone but her relatives, had an amazing life. Achieving the age of 105 is no small feat. She survived two pandemics and grew up in the age where meals were prepared in a wood burning stove and not many roads were paved. She loved telling stories about how it was when she was younger and life was not as convenient as today. Her mother, Anna, was a nurse and her father Louis, owned a garage and sold Overland cars to farmers. Because her father sold cars, she learned to drive a car at age 18 and continued to drive until she was 99. She was the oldest of three children having two younger brothers, Lloyd and Fred. Jean graduated from Chilton High School in 1936 and attended business college in Manitowoc, Wisconsin where she met her husband, Joseph Siegel, and got married in 1942 in Atlantic City. They moved to Milwaukee after Joe served in the Army and had two children, Alan and Dianne. In 1966, they moved to Kansas City when the IRS transferred Joe. Jean got a job at Dodson Insurance, where she met one of her best friends and current neighbor, Evelyn Young. She worked at Dodson for 10 years before retiring in 1980 to enjoy life, with Al and Carol, her two grandchildren, Scott(Becky) and Brian (Lauren) and her four great grandchildren, Emma, Aiden, Savannah, and Sawyer.
She was exceptionally proud of her two kids, Alan and Dianne. She would tell anyone and everyone about her son Al, the pharmacist, and Dianne, the special ed teacher. During the last decade of her life she was blessed to have her daughter living with her and daily visits from her son. This made her so happy.
Her niece, Sandy, was like a second daughter to her and brought her great joy every time they were together. Sandy’s children and grandchildren were frequent visitors and always brought a fun time. Sandy’s mother, Ardelle Steffes, was Jean’s sister in law and one of her favorite people. They would spend hours on the phone and treasured the time when they could be together. She also loved her nephews, Paul Siegel and John Steffes, and her niece, Gloria Jean Siegel-Howe.
Rarely sick, she enjoyed every day and always wore a smile and kind word for everyone she encountered. She enjoyed her daily walks with Al and Dianne (who “kept her moving”) as recently as May 8th and was very proud of the fact that she never needed a cane or walker to get around. Jean also adored her two dogs, Casey and Slugger who were her constant companions. Favorite pastimes included playing bridge, reading, playing Words with Friends, visiting with friends and family, picking up sticks in the yard, and enjoying the beautiful view of Terrace Lake in her backyard. Jean tried to stay up to date with current events and trends, using an iPad and cell phone, and even had a TikTok account with the help of her daughter (one of her posts has over a million views). She loved life and rarely had a bad day. Her positive outlook on life inspired one of her favorite sayings after a mishap or fall, “it could have been worse”. And a shot of tequila, could fix almost any bad day.
Getting old is hard work. Being old and healthy was a blessing for Jean and her family. She enjoyed life and spent every day doing her best to stay healthy. Even as daily life became a struggle, she persevered. She exercised daily and became an inspiration to all who knew her. Neighbors and strangers who saw her out walking would stop and marvel, giving her a wave and encouraging words. Every day was a gift. Al and Dianne have broken hearts but are grateful for the time spent together.
She will be missed greatly by her loved ones but will live on in our hearts.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Bishop Sullivan Center, Wayside Waifs, a charity of your choice, or a random act of kindness.
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