Jeanne Anne Scheuerman

Her life centered on faith, family, music and education. A lifelong Catholic, she was active in various Catholic lay activities and associations, including the Mother of God Community (Gaithersburg, Maryland), the Christ Renews His Parish retreat program, the Apostles of the Interior Life, and the spiritual mentorship program of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. She loved fly fishing with her husband and sons, playing guitar, and singing harmony in her sunny, alto voice. Throughout her life, she directed children’s choirs and led music at Mass and prayer meetings. She was a gifted teacher who specialized in helping young children with dyslexia learn to read.

Born Jeanne Anne Keigher on November 13, 1952, she grew up in the Park Ridge suburb of Chicago, the daughter of Edward and Genevieve. Though bright as a child, she nonetheless struggled in school due to undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia. These experiences later inspired her passion for teaching and gave her compassion for those facing similar challenges.

As a teenager, she learned guitar and took interest in the folk-influenced worship music of the post-Vatican II era. After high school, she felt called to join the Sisters of Charity, and spent one year as a postulant before leaving to study at St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana. There, she met and fell in love with Paul, a student one year her senior who led a music ministry at the neighboring Notre Dame University.

The two married in 1974 and lived on a shoestring budget as Paul enrolled in law school the following fall. Vincent was born in ‘76, Christopher in ‘77 and Daniel in ’82. In 1983, the five moved to Montgomery Village, Maryland, to join the Mother of God Community. Mark was born in ’84, Francis in ’90 and Philip in ’92. For 18 years, the family of eight occupied a three-bedroom townhouse. Jeanne worked part-time as a medical assistant to help pay for the children to attend Catholic schools.

As a mother, Jeanne made building the kingdom of God her vocation. She taught her faith by living joyfully, sharing personally, showing authentic compassion for others, taking her sons to daily Mass, and passing on her gift of harmony. Prayer time singalongs with Jeanne were legendary, earning for the family the nickname “The Von Scheuermans.”

In 2001, Jeanne, Paul and the three youngest boys moved to Leawood, Kansas, where the youngest two were enrolled at Nativity Parish School. Shortly thereafter she received training as an academic language therapist and taught at the school for close to 15 years. She had a genius for bringing children who had fallen behind up to grade level in a short period of time, showering them with love to heal the seeds of self-doubt that had already taken hold.

Jeanne Anne Scheuerman died on September 30, 2020, from complications related to metastatic breast cancer. She is survived by her husband Paul; six sons, Vincent, Christopher (Monica), Daniel (Jessica), Mark (Elizabeth), Francis (Olivia) and Philip; nine grandchildren, Christopher, Madeline, Benjamin, Matthew, Nathan, Natalie, Willa, Gabriella and Gabriel; and three siblings, Mary Beth Sopher (Adrian), Edward (Kitty) and James Keigher.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jeanne’s name to Holy Family School of Faith, 13240 Craig Street, Overland Park, KS 66213.