Hildegard Geyer Jett

Mrs. Jett was born in Oppeln, Germany. She was the older of two children. Her father was a local businessman in Oppeln before the outbreak of WWII. Following the outbreak of war, her father was conscripted and later declared missing in action following the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. Her younger brother was also conscripted and was later killed during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. As the war and fighting pushed west, she and her Mother, Else Geyer, took what possessions they could carry in a suitcase and escaped their hometown, ultimately arriving in the capital city of Berlin. There they endured and survived allied bombing and the eventual ground assault and capture of Berlin. Amidst the fighting she and her mother were eventually able to make their way to the American sector of the city. Once in the American sector, she provided translation services to the Allies when and where needed. After some time in Berlin, she and her Mother eventually travelled to Zurich Switzerland where they stayed briefly before immigrating to the United States, and processed through Ellis Island NY in October 1948.

She travelled to Washington, DC established and apartment and began working in the German Embassy. In February, 1949 she declared her intent to become a US Citizen which she later was awarded in 1956. While working for the German Embassy she met and later married Edward Lee Jett, a native of Baltimore, who was widowed with one son (Lee Downing Jett). The two were married on November 23, 1957 in Towson, MD. In April 1962 she gave birth to a son, (Thomas W. Jett). The four lived briefly in Alexandria, VA until September 1962 when they were transferred to Ankara Turkey where her husband served as the Chief of the Aviation Assistance Group and later he became the Chief, Aviation Advisor until 1967. Returning in 1968 they purchased a home in Ft Washington, MD, where they resided until her husband’s death in 2008. They were married for 50 years.

She loved nature and the outdoors, and very much enjoyed a second home they had purchased in Punta Gorda, FL. Her hobbies included dabbling in art including sketch and watercolor painting; she was also an avid gardener and tennis player as a member of the Tantallon Country Club in Ft Washington. After her husband’s death she moved to Williamsburg VA and Williamsburg Landing Retirement Community, to be closer to her son Tom and his family.

She is survived by her sons, Lt Col (R) Tom Jett of Yorktown, VA and Lee D. Jett of Falls Church, VA their wives, Michele and Deborah respectively as well as 4 grandchildren. She was a loving, caring mother and wife and grandmother. A devout and spiritual Christian, she witnessed the best and worst of the twentieth century and survived … she is greatly missed.

She will be buried with her husband in Arlington National Cemetery at a date and time yet to be determined.