Jean Winona Rosendahl

Jean Winona Rosendahl passed away on October 22, 2018 at the age of 95. All of her four children were at her bedside at the Avamere assisted living facility in Wenatchee when she went to join her husband, Vernon Rosendahl, in that better home in the sky. She was also predeceased by her parents, Garfield and Rosa Jackson, and her two sisters, Juanita Blutcher and Elsie Noakes. Garfield and Rosa Jackson came to Wenatchee in 1921. Gar had taken a job as a muleskinner for the railroad (and went on to work for the railroad for 38 years). On May 29, 1923 Mom was born in Wenatchee. The rumor was that she was born at home and that home was a large tent near the railroad yard in south Wenatchee but Mom always denied that. True or not, it made for a good story. She lived her entire life in the Wenatchee area, rejecting the requests from her children that she come live with them when her health began to fail in the last five years or so. She graduated Wenatchee High School in 1942 and went to work for the Valley Evaporating Co. There, she met Vernon (Rosey) Rosendahl and they married in 1944. The marriage lasted 63 years, until Vernon’s death on April 4, 2007, at age 90. During that time, Mom bore 4 children: William F. Rosendahl (San Diego), John Rosendahl (Gig Harbor), Gary Rosendahl (Saulsbury, TN) and Patti Burke (Hanover, PA). As if that weren’t enough, she worked at various jobs her entire life until she retired. Sometimes, she worked two jobs to make sure the bills got paid and there was something left over for some family vacations. Mom loved her kids very much and made sure that they got the support they needed. She also made sure that they understood the value of hard work and that “any job worth doing, is worth doing right”. She also loved her kids’ friends and always enjoyed seeing them – especially in her later years. But the real apple of her eye over the last 30 years has been her nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. She would literally light up when seeing them or pictures of them and would always ask us kids “when is so and so coming to visit”? While her kids were growing up, Mom taught Sunday school at the Free Methodist Church. She remained a devout Christian until her death. During the last 20 years or so, Mom was a member of the Dryden Community Church. She very much enjoyed the atmosphere of the small community church and how people looked after each other and had a very good relationship with the pastor there, Matthew Payne. During this same time, Mom and Dad served as volunteer caretakers for the church camp up the Entiat River. Mom continued her work up there after Dad passed away. Mom always loved to garden, especially flowers. When she lived at Garden Terrace after Dad’s death, she was known for the flowers that she planted outside her ground floor apartment. She was always after the management at Garden Terrace to make sure that her flowers got watered. Mom was the real Energizer bunny. She just kept going and going – nothing got her down. She survived colon cancer, lost a kidney to a blood clot and a fractured hip. That being said, the last two years have been hard for Mom. In August, 2016, she fell and broke her wrist so badly that it required surgical repair. She went from the hospital to Colonial Vista. She was in assisted living there for a year before moving to Avamere in September, 2017. A year later, she fell and broke her shoulder and could simply not recover from that. She went into hospice 10 days before she died. We are very grateful for the care that Mom received from Dr. Gail Feinman for many years. Devan, the evening med aide at Avamere, provided great care to Mom. The people at the Confluence Health Hospice program were fabulous – especially her primary hospice nurse, Barb Quinlan. Last, we are very grateful for the friendship of Sharon Morris and her support of Mom – including doing Mom’s hair weekly for at least the last three years or so of her life. Services will be at the Jones and Jones~Betts Funeral Home on October 29 at 11:30am. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity.

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Jean Winona Rosendahl

May 29, 1923 - October 22, 2018