Jean McCain

We honor and celebrate the life of Jean McCain, known to so many of us simply and lovingly as GG. Her story is one of courage, perseverance, devotion, and a steady faith that shaped everyone who knew her.

Grandma was born on February 4, 1929, in Henrietta, Oklahoma to her parents, Eugene Bryant Lyons and Lucille Jewel (Painter) Lyons. Her early years were marked by great hardship, yet also by the kind of resilience that only God can cultivate in a person. When the coal mine closed, and the Dust Bowl ravaged Oklahoma, her family—like so many others—set out west toward California in search of hope. Somewhere on that long, dusty road between states, she celebrated her fifth birthday. It was a humble beginning for a girl who would grow into such a strong, loving, and faithful presence in our lives.

After arriving in California in 1933, her family eventually settled in Davis Camp. Life there was simple but communal. Work came only when the fruit ripened, and Grandma remembered her dad, heading to the fields while her mom worked the sheds. She recalled being carried to the car in the early morning hours, still wrapped in her blanket, waking to the rhythm of fruit dropping into buckets—a memory that stayed with her forever.

School began in 1st Grade for Grandma in 1934. Kindergarten didn’t exist then, but her mother had already taught her letters and numbers, giving her a strong start. She loved being with other children, loved the simple joy of milk and graham crackers mid-morning, and remembered the home-cooked cafeteria meals that cost 35 – 50 cents, if you could afford it. Her childhood was touched by sweetness and sorrow. She adored animals, especially rabbits. One day, after trading with neighbors who had chickens, she discovered the skin of her pet rabbit in their yard. It broke her heart in a way only a child can feel so deeply. She told her mom the neighbor peeled her bunny.

She admired her mother’s coffee so much that she was finally given a glass of milk with a teaspoon of coffee—something she requested often. Even though her mom tried to dress her in beautiful girly outfits, she could usually be found stomping through mud or splashing in puddles, ruining them with delight. By age ten, she was already helping her family by punching picking cards for the fruit workers—a sign of the strong work ethic that would follow her for the rest of her life.

The family moved many times—Oakley, Brentwood, and elsewhere—and Grandma embraced each new chapter. She remembered running barefoot in the sand and the joy of summer nights playing tag, hide and seek, or kick the can outside until long after dark. She was incredibly shy—so shy she sometimes avoided giving her oral reports—but she also had a spirited streak. She once jumped over a stopped train to get to her friend’s house. Her dad was not happy about that. A couple of times, she and a friend even rode it a short stretch when it began moving again. That was one story she made sure her father never discovered.

Grandma graduated from high school in Brentwood, where she took home economics and sewed a dress she proudly wore for a grade. After high school, she began working as a telephone operator—a job that introduced her to lifelong friends like Hazel (the beginning of our wonderful adopted grandchildren here today), and alongside Aunt Martha—and later worked in fruit packing, the steel mill, the bowling alley where she nearly played at a professional level, BJ’s clothing store, and grocery stores, setting up coupon displays. She worked faithfully well into her late eighties, driving, traveling, and staying independent as long as she possibly could. She even continued the trips to San Jose as she and grandpa had for years for holidays, sports, concerts, or just because.

But perhaps the most important chapter of her earthly life began when she married Tommy Ray McCain. Together, they built a home in Brentwood, anchored in love, faith, and devotion, later moving to Antioch, close to the Pittsburgh steel mill where Grandpa worked. In 1947, they welcomed their daughter, Dianne—mom—who became one of Grandma’s greatest joys. As the years unfolded, the family grew. She gained a loving son-in-law, Bob Clemons – dad - who honored and cared for her as though she were his own mother. She became “Grandma” to two grandsons—Kevin and his wife, Missie, and myself and my wife, Diane —and to five great-granddaughters: Whitney, Shawna, Nikki, Bethany, and Hannah. Eventually, she was blessed with two great-great-granddaughters, Athena and Jaelynn, who brought her tremendous delight. Each generation was shaped by her steady love, her humor, her work ethic, and her unwavering faith. Kevin- I am so glad we have those 5-generation pictures.

Grandma was also deeply committed to her church and to her Savior. She faithfully attended Brentwood Missionary Baptist Church—where Grandpa served as deacon with Grandma by his side, also teaching high school students and singing in the choir—and later Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, where she taught adult ladies. Grandma knew her Bible and enjoyed sharing with others. She supported countless families, and lived out her faith in ways that blessed everyone around her. Many still speak of the impact she had during those years.

And yet, even these stories cannot fully describe who she truly is. At her core, Grandma is a child of the Almighty God, a sinner saved by grace, who lived her long life in grateful obedience to her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.