06 Sep Three Juicy Fruits Before Bed
Jean made her way into the world along with her twin brother Jack on a blustery Winnipeg winters day in 1924. Eight other siblings completed the brood and within 5 years, along with their parents, they’d all board a train destined for Windsor, in search of opportunity within the Great Depression.
After graduating highschool, Jean landed a job in the office at Chryslers and at the age of 30, her family came to her with an ultimatum of sorts. They identified her fork in the road ~ one direction was marriage the other was the convent! Not soon after a tall, curly haired catholic fellow crossed her path and she was married by 31 with 4 curly haired daughters soon to follow. Jean always wanted curly hair and thus had an evening routine of dipping a comb in a glass of water, flicking the water at one of her little Shirley Temple daughters, then using the remainder to set one of the wire rollers in her hair.
Jean embodied the words of Maya Angelou who once said, “Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself then stand up for someone else.” As a single mother with teenage girls looking to her for safety, guidance and identity, Jean rose to the occasion and in her 50’s not only secured a job at the Windsor Star in the mailroom but became an advocate for fairness and was instrumental in getting the union established within the Star. She faced every challenge head on and with some creativity. On weekends, when the girls were younger, she would grab a grocery cart and take them window shopping downtown. A pit stop at the Brewer’s retail would be made for a 6 pack of Carling Black label that would be clandestinely tucked at the bottom of the cart camouflaged under a baby blanket. She did graduate to a larger set of 4 wheels at the turn of her half century when she got her license and acquired a yellow duster. The drive home with her new ride was a bit of an adventure in itself, certainly taking more time than expected. But then again she didn’t expect to crash twice….first with a Sears truck and then into a ditch.
Whether Jean realized it or not, she was limitless. At one point, in order to keep her girls well stocked in Legg’s pantyhose and feminine products, she held 3 jobs….In addition to the Windsor Star, Jean worked as a crossing guard and seasonally at the Post Office.
In 2016 Jean moved to a retirement home and was blessed to share the best medicine ever with the loving staff there….laughter. She was sunshine on two feet. As her sun set each evening her only request was to be tucked in with 3 sticks of juicy fruit ~ most of which would be discovered in her hair the next morning!
At 91 years young, Jean gently left the confines of her body simply to continue being the angel she always was.
Telling Stories…..One Legacy At A Time.
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