Mrs. Jean Wurst Archer

Jean W. Archer, 82 years old, passed away on February 7, 2018. She was a resident of Manitou Springs, Colorado from 1991 to 2015. Then she resided at Brookdale at Skyline in Colorado Springs, Colorado from 2015 to 2017. Her final residence was Sunny Vista Living Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Jean was born during the depression era in 1935 in Kansas City, Missouri , to Henry and Virginia Wurst. She resided in Kansas City until she attended college in Colorado. Jean was a graduate of University of Colorado – Boulder where she received her degree in Education. She also attended Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, where she completed her Masters in Pastoral Care.

Before Jean was married, she spent a few months living in South Africa and Mozambique at a Methodist mission station, which gave her a lasting impression of what it means to live in poverty, and, yet, through faith, song and dance, keep joy in one’s heart. In 1960, she married Lewis Archer in Johannesburg, South Africa. Even though Jean and Lew met in college, they agreed to experience missionary life together before getting married. Throughout their 52 year marriage (Lew died in April, 2013), they shared being drama and history buffs and attended many theater productions together. After returning to the United States, Jean taught Kindergarten and Special Education in Berkeley, CA; Madison, NJ; Oxford, GA; and Spokane, WA.

Jean loved to volunteer wherever she lived. In Georgia (1966-1968), she led song and dance with Head Start during the civil rights years. During her years in Spokane, WA (1968-1991), she was the assistant volunteer coordinator for the YWCA, the chair of the city-wide rummage sale for St. George’s School, and partnered with the Samaritan Center. While living in Manitou Springs, CO (1991-2015), she opened her home to be a sanctuary for day workshops, in honor of her mother. After Lew died, she volunteered at the Manitou Springs Visitor Center.

After a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome in 1998, Jean was determined to use her experience to provide support and encouragement to others. For 14 years, she was the Southern Colorado liaison for the Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) Foundation, which is based in Philadelphia, PA. Jean was the director of support groups for the GBS Foundation in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. She used her seminary degree in pastoral care to train a team of survivors (as she was), and they saw eighty people who had experienced GBS from mild to severe degrees. Jean created a holistic program of eight modalities that she offered for healing. She herself gained wisdom for life from many of these authentic loving folks.

Jean was a soprano soloist and sang in choral groups much of her life. Music was intertwined into her life. Song and dance were up lifting to Jean’s spirits. She sang, danced and played the piano almost every day.

Jean is survived by her son, Robert Archer of Spokane, Washington; daughter, Andrea Archer of Colorado Springs, Colorado; brother, H.R. Wurst of Grass Valley, California; and granddaughter, Skye Hunter-Archer of Seattle, Washington.

“Let us be silent, that we may hear the whisper of God.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

A celebration of Jean’s life will be Saturday, February 24, at 11 a.m. at First Congregational Church, 20 E. Saint Vrain St, Colorado Springs, CO.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to:

Manitou Springs Heritage Museum

517 Manitou Ave,

Manitou Springs, CO 80829