Jean was born Carroll Gene Bowman in Galax, Virginia on June 15, 1934, where she lived with her mother, Susan, and brother, Kenneth. There she grew up on a farm raising chickens and vegetables during the Great Depression. When asked what it was like to live during that time, she said she didn’t notice hard times. Conserving and living simply was one of her core values and how she always lived her life.
In the summer of 1953, she met the love of her life, John Kesler, while they were both working as clerks for the US government in Washington, DC. There they dated for six months and were married on January 30, 1954. Their first child, Johnny, was born 16 months later and soon thereafter, Julia and Jana were added to their young family.
While living in Houston, Texas, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mary Lou Jackson, knocked on Jean’s door and soon began studying the Bible with her. Later, the Kesler family moved to Beaumont and Jean continued her Bible study with Evelyn Lombardo. She loved what she learned and was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1968. Her three children later followed her fine example and were also baptized.
From 1957 to 1980, John worked for the US Department of Justice and the family relocated frequently to various cities across the US. However, two years after their first grandchild was born, they decided to move back to Houston to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Jean and John lived in the same Houston home on Harvest Hill Lane for 38 years, which holds many wonderful memories of family anniversary parties and growing grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Jean was the matriarch of her family and always provided unconditional love and support to each and every one she cherished and held dear. She was exemplary in upholding Jehovah’s standards under any circumstances and living a simple life. She was never wasteful, pretentious or vain yet always practical, modest and mild. She practically invented the so called “Green” movement to “reduce, reuse, recycle, renew” long before it was important to society. She cultivated her own backyard paradise which was a haven for her grandchildren to thrive, grow and play. With her small body and a giant green thumb, she loved to spend her days barefoot in her garden, pruning, preening and getting rid of culprit weeds. She was a plant whisperer and could make anything grow to full potential, even from a seed or sprig. Jean loved classic movies and shows on the Hallmark channel because they were clean entertainment. She only went on vacations if it meant spending time with loved ones, most often at Seven Coves in Conroe, Texas. In the end when her health was failing, she shared she was afraid to leave her family to fall asleep in death, not because she feared death, but because she knew her family needed her and “she was afraid she would miss something.”
Jean faithfully served Jehovah for 50 years and always provided an outstanding example of endurance. She was loved, respected and cherished by her family and was one of the most important people in their lives. What heals their hearts is knowing she is no longer in pain and is safe in Jehovah’s loving memory. Their lasting hope is to see her again in His promised earthly Paradise.
Jean was predeceased by her daughter Jana Wilson, and is survived by her husband John T Kesler, Sr., son John (Johnny) T Kesler Jr., daughter-in-law Alicia Kesler, daughter Julia Maxwell, son-in-law Leo Maxwell, son-in-law Dwayne Wilson, sister Trella McDaniel, brother-in-law Tom McDaniel, 10 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
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