Jean was raised on a farm near Villisca, Iowa. She married her first husband and traveled with him to Arizona on trips for his health. After his passing, she met Cody Golden in Clarinda, Iowa. It was not long before they were married on St. Patrick’s Day 1957. Arizona held many opportunities for a young family, so the Goldens packed up everything and moved to Phoenix in 1960.
Jean was always a caregiver. Her proudest accomplishment was her family. She was so proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. And, even though she didn’t enjoy cooking if it was your special day, she was going to make you home-made noodles with chicken and mashed potatoes. It was her specialty dish along with cheesecake and pumpkin pie. She never missed watching her daughters perform with the marching band and was in frequent attendance at many of her grandchildren’s activities. Jean and Cody enjoyed going on long road trips with their daughters to visit family back in Iowa and Missouri. Once the girls were grown, they enjoyed going on RV trips throughout the United States.
She was known as an amazing “organizer” in her work and personal life. She was employed as an accounting clerk for over 40 years, with much of this time spent working for banks. She loved all the details she kept in her ledger books. She preferred using pencil and paper to keep accounts, and that habit served her well. As she got older, Jean enjoyed painting ceramics, working on puzzles, watching the Arizona Suns play basketball, and watching NASCAR racing.
Jean leaves behind her husband of 65 years, Cody Golden; daughters Linda (Kevin) Burns and Diane (Craig) Artrip. She also leaves behind four grandchildren: Ethan (Kaixi) Burns, Schuyler Burns, Colton (Jessica) Artrip, and Kendall Artrip; along with two great-grandchildren: Logan and Emma Burns.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Hospice of the Valley.
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