Josephine Emma Beebe

Her maternal grandparents were Emma Gertrude DeWitt (b. 1868 IL) and Marshall Jay Keyes (b. 1856 NE).

Her familial grandparents were Josephine Sommer (b. IN) and William Miller.

Her familial great grandparents were Sophie and Carl Sommer (b. Schleswig Holstein).

Her familial great great grandfather was Carl Sommer (b. Hamburg, Germany).

Jo grew up with a brother Carl “Buzz” and a sister Colonial “Toni” in Iowa where she completed high school and received a full scholarship to the University of Iowa where she graduated with a degree in English Literature. She was working in the University Registrar’s office doing data entry on a typewriter when she made an evident mistake and a young man inquired if he could “damn” that for her. That helpful man was John Beebe, Jo’s future husband. Dr. John Raymond Beebe, Sr. and Jo were married March 14, 1944 in the Christ Episcopal Church in Burlington, IA.

John was enlisted as a medic in the US Army and served in the European Campaign for two years while Jo lived in IA. Upon return he and Jo were stationed at Duke University in Durham, N.C. and then in Phoenix, AZ at St. Joseph’s Hospital. They lived on Van Buren St. where Jo walked to work at the 1st National Bank. Jo was a great gymnast and athlete. She discovered she was expecting her first child, Jeanne, when she needed assistance climbing up from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Ever since, her favorite musical piece has been Ferde Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite”. They drove to Chicago to live with John’s brother, Dick, while Jeanne and her cousin Warren were born in 1946. Then on to New Brunswick, NJ to finish John’s residency after which they settled in Mt. Pleasant, IA where John opened a medical practice with his bother Ken. They lived there for seven years where they welcomed their second child, John Raymond, Jr., in 1948 and third child, Patricia Anne, in 1952.

John decided to specialize in Orthopedic Surgery and they moved again to Seattle in 1953 for a Children’s Orthopedic Hospital residency. Upon completion they lived in Bakersfield, CA just long enough to see the opening of Disneyland. They finally settled on acreage in the woods in Juanita (Kirkland), WA in 1955 and lived there forever. In 1970 they also bought acreage in Manson, WA and planted an apple, cherry, pear, apricot and nectarine orchard. John’s brother, Ken followed them to Seattle and was the first to buy land and plant apples in Manson with the help of their friend Pasqual Rodriguez. Jo outlived her husband John by 24 years. She was just a month short of 101 years old.

Jo made the most of her homes growing world class flower gardens. They were always filled with fresh arrangements to challenge any botanical show. Jo’s father was an industrial pattern maker and her brother an electrical contractor so she developed the skills to repair anything around the house. Her mother was a quality seamstress and musician. Under her influence she further perfected the arts of couture sewing and playing piano and banjo. And she picked up the zither after skiing in Sun Valley and the ukulele after traveling to Hawaii. John was a fisherman and hunter and Jo was able to transform his contributions of salmon, moose, elk, and pheasant into gourmet tastes and presentations that produce a flood of memories from any little bite that is similar to hers.

Since Jo had a degree in English Literature she was able to homeschool us when we missed half a year to mumps, measles and chicken pox. She was always an avid reader and we encouraged her to seek her Master’s Degree in Librarianship but she declined saying she was very happy living the life she had.

Jo is survived by her children and grandchildren all professionally practicing her legacy. Jeanne, is an interior designer, John Jr, an electrical engineer and Patty, a Special Education, English and yoga teacher. The same can be said of her grandchildren, Gretchen is an industrial designer working in a commercial plant nursery, John Warren, a firefighter and professional welder, Robyn and Christine, twins, school teachers and yoga instructors, Maggie, a business teacher and media relations specialist, Joe, owner of a Seattle real estate Investing company and CrossFit coach, and Brian, another athlete scholar and firefighter. The great grandchildren, John Raymond Beebe, III, Leif Gilbert Pipkin, Avery Lynn Allen, Quinn Elaine Allen and Finley Jo Onewein have not yet chosen their life work but they will undoubtedly be reflecting Jo’s influence.