Jeanette Laurence Cratty

Kind friend and neighbor Jeanette Laurence Cratty of Rancho Cordova, California, passed on due to heart failure on Sunday January 29th, 2023 at Mercy San Juan hospital in Carmichael California. She lived to the amazing age of 97.

Jeanette was born October 14th, 1925 in Pouligny, Rouvres-les-Bois, France, the child of Jules & Louise Perchaud. She was the first born of their seven children, and yet she outlived all of them but one. She is survived by her brother Adam who still resides in France. Interestingly, all of the children were born 13 months apart. They all grew up on their parents farm, and her brother Louis still lived there until his death in 2021.

When Jeanette was 18, she fell in love and married a handsome young French soldier named Jules Delaney on July 3rd, 1943. They had a baby together, but unfortunately it died of cholera as an infant. To compound this tragedy, Jules then died after being wounded in a bombing raid during WWII.

She often recounted memories of living through World War II, including being shot at by a German plane that was strafing a column of French military vehicles she was walking near. She was saved by a French soldier who pushed her into a ditch and covered her body with his.

On December 6th, 1960, Jeanette married American Air Force Master Sergeant Patrick J. Cratty in Chateauroux, France. They returned to the United States in 1961 and lived in Pennsylvania, Texas and Arizona depending on where Patrick was stationed. Eventually he was stationed at Mather Air Force Base in Rancho Cordova, California. They bought a home there where Jeanette spent many years creating a garden complete with many plants and trees and small walls and walkways. She did all of it herself mainly on weekends because she worked full time. Today it is fully grown and full of beautiful flowering plants and trees. It will always remain as a testimony to her hard work and creativity.

Unfortunately Patrick passed away December 25th 1978 at the age of 61. She never remarried.

Jeanette was a kind and friendly person who was loved by the many friends and neighbors who knew her. She had a bubbly outgoing personality and loved to talk and tell stories of her life. Her kindness will be fondly remembered by those who knew her. Her generosity in particular will be remembered by Peter Woods and his sons Dylan and Justin, to whom she graciously left her home where they had shared many special and loving years living together as a family.

Services will be held at Mount Vernon Memorial Park and Mortuary in Fair oaks, California on March 6th, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. She will be interred there in a niche she will share with her husband Patrick.

JEANETTE: KINDEST OF FRIENDS

A friend, oh a friend like you!

So kind, so loyal and always true.

Jeanette, you are like a flower in your garden;

a heart often hurt but that never hardened.

A friend, oh a friend so true!

I was so lucky to have a friend like you.

Jeanette, you are like the moon in the morning.

Sometimes sad but never scorning.

And the trees and bushes wonder where you've gone.

The flowers awaken and open again at the dawn.

But the birds sit quietly and have no song.

And the sunset comes but stays too long.

A friend, oh a true friend like you!

One of the kindest of souls I ever knew.

Jeanette, you will be missed as spring blooms again.

As I sit in your garden and remember my friend.

Peter Woods

March 3rd, 2023