Jean H Fernow

She was born in Alice, North Dakota alongside her twin sister, Joyce. Her life was in God's hands from the beginning, as she and Joyce were not expected to survive long due to their premature birth. God surely wasn’t finished with Jean. She was raised in the small town of Enderlin, North Dakota with her siblings Joyce and Gary. Eventually, Jean married the love of her life, Dale Fernow, and moved to sunny Southern California to start a new life. Her younger brother-in-law, Dennis, joined their lives in California shortly after moving to attend college at USC.

Jean was a beautiful wife and a wonderfully devoted mother to her sons Brad, Bryan, and Bruce.

She was the most amazing mother-in-law to JoAnne and Memes. Jean didn't only babysit, but did the hefty household tasks because she loved to make life easier for others. She somehow got everything done like it was magic.

She was a loving grandmother to Broderic, Conner, Patrick, and Tanna, and was delighted to have the chance to be a great-grandmother to Nora and Dane.

Jean spent 25 years at Orange Unified School District before retiring in 1995. She was dedicated to her work, admired by many, and made dear life-long friendships.

If you knew Jean, you knew that she demonstrated the pure love and kindness of Jesus in everything that she did. She was a humble servant of Christ in all aspects of her life. Jean was devoted to volunteering at her church, a lot of times on her hands and knees. At one point she was even signing checks for the church. She led by example. There was never a task too big or too small, she did it all with no desire for recognition.

Jean was an unbelievably strong, purposeful, and independent woman. She never failed to wake up before the sun and had a tight schedule even in her retirement. When she wasn’t hosting family, attending sporting events and school performances, she was constantly surrounded by her beloved friends. Jean had no shortage of friends because she was committed to each friendship she made and kind to everyone she met.

It can be said that her greatest treasure in life was the gift of grandchildren. She never missed a moment and never failed to take photos every moment she got the chance. Grandma Jean was always in the front row cheering her grandchildren on. Rain or shine, she would be there. The love and adoration she has for her grandchildren was evident and will always be remembered. Her legacy of kind-heartedness, generosity, and humble service to others, along with her strength and steadfast spirit will be lived on through them.

Special thanks to the wonderful staff at Forever Young Memory Care where Jean spent her last years. There aren’t enough words to describe the love and dedication that each individual exhibited to Jean and the Fernow family. Jean was especially loved and cared for at Forever Young. Each and every individual shared a special relationship with Jean and is a testament to the love that Jean poured into the world.

We will miss Jean every day, but we are joyful knowing she is spending every moment with Jesus until we can meet again.

In lieu of flowers, donations to UCI Mind can be made to honor Jean. Jean was part of a study for the research of memory impairments and neurological disorders at University California Irvine.

Donations can be mailed to:

UCI Mind

2646 Biological Sciences III

Irvine, CA 92697-4545

On your check memo line please indicate: Alzheimer’s disease research in memory of Jean H. Fernow

Donations can also be made online in Jean’s memory at https://www.mind.uci.edu/donate/memorial-donations/