Jeanne Frances Neville

Jeanne was born in St. John, North Dakota, the daughter of Earl Francis and Iva Laura Russ. She had a brother, Myron, eight years older. Earl was a school teacher and Customs Inspector, Iva was a school teacher in a one-room schoolhouse. They lived on the prairie, and as a girl, Jeanne joined the 4H club, winning several blue ribbons. Her best friend was Eleanor, and they played for hours at a time with Sweetie Pies, a shepherd dog afterward known as Sandy. The family moved to the Canadian border in January 1932. Jeanne liked to roam outside and collect wild flowers.

Her father died suddenly on New Years Eve 1936, and Jeanne and her mother moved back to St. John. They boarded and roomed schoolteachers until June 1940 when they moved to Minot, North Dakota.

Jeanne later went to high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a sophomore and played clarinet in the band. She was introspective, loved to read, and had a smile that would light up a room. She graduated from Minot high school with honors in June 1943.

After that, she went on to Concordia College, earning a degree in the medical field. In 1947, she joined the Concordia College Theater, acted in plays and wrote poetry and short stories. After graduating, she worked as a lab technician and took additional classes at the University of Oregon, where she met her future husband.

She got married in 1952 in Bend, Oregon. Later, she moved to Seattle, Washington and had two children, Laura and Janet. Three years later, she moved to California. As soon as the children were old enough, she went back to work at South Bay hospital. When asked why she wanted to work in a hospital, she said that she wanted to help others.

The hospital where she worked the longest was Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, thirty miles south of San Francisco. She worked in hematology, and eventually managed the lab. She retired from there after working hard for many years. Jeanne spent the rest of her life in Pebble Beach, California.

JEANNE'S POETRY

Who

Who put the sky into your eyes,

the twilight sky of dusky blue?

Who also put the shining stars,

he asked her, who?

She looked at him, smiled and said,

You make the stars to shine,

and the blue within my eyes

is but reflected, dear, from thine.”

Written by Jeanne 1943

Quietude

I know a quiet room with wide, clear windows

that welcome the rain.

Rust and yellow straw flowers doze in a wicker basket,

while shadows skip back and forth across the mahogany table.

Sunshine lies in yellow pools on the carpeted floor.

In the out-of-doors beyond,

elm trees lift their shaggy, amber arms

to a breeze that carries a hint of winter.

I know a quiet room

where soft notes break the edge of thought,

to become dissolved in the perfect happiness

of hearts that beat in harmony.

Jeanne October 28, 1946

Today

Today you could not see the world we knew

All changed within one dark night’s silent watch;

You could not see the first white snow

Or feel its frozen circles whipped against your face.

Today I breathed the sharp, still air and thought—

Each breath a prayer, each thought a hope for you,

But since ‘tis true that you and I are one

Perhaps you saw the snow and loved it too.

Jeanne 1944 Minot, North Dakota (19 years old)

From The Window

Falling, falling, falling

Slowly, quickly to the ground—

The yellow leaves are falling

In broken patterns to the ground.

Drifting, floating, sinking

Leaving against the sky

An empty spiraled tower

To wait again for the Spring.

Jeanne 1945

First Day of Spring

Lonely and sad the soul of winter still lingers

Reluctant to leave the body of Earth that it ruled.

Helpless it watched the white blood flowing

From vein and wide dark artery into anon.

Cloudlike it hovers among the willows,

Touching each form then wandering on,

Silently, heedlessly dropping

Tears on every pond.

Jeanne 1946

A Young Man’s Proposal

I give you myself, my love, my soul, my thoughts;

I give you whatever I am or shall be;

I give you a world whose sun is you,

Whose stars are you—whose music is you.

Dearest One, you are my life, my reason, my goal.

Jeanne 1945

A Young Man’s Proposal 1945

There’s room in the road for two,

Two whose souls are one.

We’ll stand together and conquer the world—

You and I.

You must understand this call that takes me on,

Ever searching, ever doing,

The call must be in you.

I give you a world whose sun is service,

Whose stars are gladdened souls

Whose music is the thought that above all else

I want you to serve with me in the road.

I need your silent courage to reach me with one glance,

I need your tender love to take with me each day,

I need to know that here with me is where you want to be.

Jeanne 1945

Autumn Leaf

I send you a little soldier

From the glorious battle of Autumn.

I saw him charge across the street with his brothers

Until all were scattered and lost to each other

By the omnipotent wind.

I send you a gallant soldier

Uniformed in safranin red

Who while safe in his barricade,

Counted the odds not hoping to win,

Left the Avenue Palisade

To join the colored swirl below.

I found him alone by the curb,

With a tear in his crimson coat.

Jeanne 1945 Moorhead, Minnesota

Travelers

Every night I hear them thundering into the station,

Making heavy sounds on the quiet air;

Travelers they are from many lands

With pain in their long hoarse cry,

As if they too know loneliness and sorrow.

Every night I hear them come—

And then they are gone.

An urgent desire grips my heart to follow—

Then dies in hopelessness and is gone,

With the cars into the night.

Jeanne 1945

The Prairie in Spring

Where is the breeze so pure as that which blows,

Across the prairie’s wide expanse in spring?

Fragrant from the little prairie rose,

The earth and every newly growing thing.

Jeanne 1956 Seattle, Washington

POEMS AND WRITINGS TO LAURA AND JAN

Bedtime for Laura and Janet

My Mama used to tuck me up

With winter blankets warm and deep,

Then she gave a goodnight kiss,

And I was left to go to sleep.

But I could hear the prairie wind

Blowing hard around my room,

I knew the snow was falling fast

Outside in the evening gloom.

Before I closed my eyes I thought,

“Tomorrow I can use my sled,”

Then I drifted off to sleep,

Happy in my little bed.

You, my Dears, will never feel

A blizzard shake your window pane,

In this far land perhaps you’ll hear,

A gentle breeze, a quiet rain.

Now, go to sleep, my darling girls,

A hug, a kiss and then the light,

Just as my Mama did for me,

So I do for you—goodnight.

Jeanne January 1959 Palo Alto, California

To Laura—3 Months Old

You do not know the many times

I stand beside your bed,

To rearrange your coverlet,

To stroke your tiny head.

You do not see the wondrous joy

Your little face inspires;

Unnoticed too, the loving care

Your helpless cry requires.

But someday when you learn to talk,

And learn to run on little feet,

Then perhaps you’ll understand

How much you mean to me, my sweet.

Jeanne 1955 Seattle, Washington

To Laura—One Year Old

Come little Darling, and let us go,

Down by the beach for an hour or so;

We’ll watch the mighty ships sail by,

We’ll listen for the seagull’s cry.

When Mama was a little girl,

I never saw the blue waves curl,

Then burst in snowy, salty spray.

You see, I lived too far away.

But you, my Darling, will grow so tall

From walks along the old sea wall;

The ocean tide and the ocean breeze,

Will be your childhood memories.

Jeanne 1956 Seattle, Washington

To Laura

Laura Dear,

You are three years old today, my Darling.

For three years Mama and Daddy have had a

wonderful little girl to love and care for.

You have lovely big brown eyes and brown hair

that frames a sweet little face. Mama loves

to kiss your rosy cheeks and round button nose!

You are very accomplished for your three years;

Besides speaking extremely well, you spell many

words. You can count up to twenty and you know

your full name and telephone number. When we

ask you where you live, you say, “In Seattle, on

top of Southwest.” You are a very friendly little girl

and dearly love going to Sunday School. A few weeks

ago you donated your “Big Bald Headed Dolly” (as you

call her) to your class of three year olds. Big Bald

Headed Dolly is very bald indeed and wears no

clothes either. So it was fortunate that you got a new

dolly for your birthday from Gran and Grandpop

Neville, together with a big woven basket for her

to sleep in.

Grandma Russ made you a birthday cake, as she has

every year, with decorations and candles; she also

gave you a red sweater set, three pairs of knee-length

stockings and a frog pull-toy. Mama and Daddy gave

you a new yellow bunny suit, a coloring book and

some paper dolls. We bought a new dolly too, but

decided to put it away until you needed it.

After dinner you sat in the rocking chair while

Daddy took your picture.

You are three years old today, My Darling,

and I hope on every birthday you will be the

sweet, dear, lovely girl you are today.

With love,

From your Mama

October 28, 1958 Seattle Washington

To Laura—Four years old

See the pretty birthday cake,

With four candles in a row,

Pink and yellow, blue and white,

How they shine and brightly glow.

Jeanne Oct. 28, 1959 Palo Alto, California

To Janet--Two Years Old

Who is Daddy’s little sweetheart?

And Mama’s precious baby too?

Who is Laura’s little sister?

Of course, my Janie dear, it’s you.

My Janie with the dark blue eyes,

My Janie with the golden hair,

You are like a little angel,

Without wings, but just as fair.

Jeanne August 1959 Palo Alto, California

To Janie

Janie Girl,

Today our baby is two years old!

You have fine yellow hair and beautiful

blue eyes. You are nicely plump with

chubby little legs and a lovely merry smile.

You say da-da, Mama, go, come, doll, me-too,

bye-bye and baby. The first real words you

said were, “Mama tep on my toe.” You are so

good about going to the bathroom I can trust

you and take you anywhere. You love to run,

and your little feet go flying around the house.

Your temperament is sweet, unselfish, and you

are always anxious to please. I could hold you

on my lap forever, but you must jump down

and run to some little business of your own.

You copy your sister Laura in all things.

If she refuses her breakfast cereal, you also

hand me your bowl untouched, although

you love cereal.

You are an affectionate baby and often

come to your Mama for a little hug.

You looked like a big doll today when

Daddy took your picture.

You received many nice presents including

a new dolly and big plastic beads. Grandma

Russ couldn’t be with you this year on your

birthday, but she sent you a lovely dress.

Gran and Grandpop sent you a dress too.

We bought a decorated birthday cake this year.

Happy birthday little Janie dear, our baby is

growing up and we love her more every year!

Love from your Mama

January 28, 1959 Palo Alto, California

To Janie—5 years old

Dear Little Janie,

Someday when you are a big girl you may wonder what

you were like in the years that you will then have forgotten.

So I am going to tell you what you are like,

now that you are five years old.

You have a rare gift indeed, and that is a pure heart.

Because there is no meanness or envy in your own

little heart, you see none in others.

You are extremely lovable. Besides your sweet nature,

you have a happy disposition, with just a little flash of

temper on rare occasions. I have never seen you moody.

You sing little songs to me and to your dollies, who are

quite real in your imagination. You amuse yourself with

your toys and prefer to stay home and play, rather than

run to the neighbors.

You have another quality that is exceptional in a little girl

only five years old. You are neat and orderly. You never

throw your clothes around the room or drop them on the floor.

You always have clean hands and face and spill very little at

the table. You remember to turn out the light when you leave

a room in the evening. You are thoughtful in many little ways

and so nice about doing what you are asked. You never want

to miss going to Sunday School, and you always say your prayers.

These are only a few of the things that you are, but they give

a good indication of what you will be like in later years.

You like to sit on my lap and how I love to hold you!

At least once a day you say, “I love you, Mama.”

Janie, you are like a little ray of sunshine and like sunshine,

you warm everyone you are near. I hope you will never,

never change and will only grow bigger as the years go by.

You have made your Mama so happy

to have had you for a daughter.

With love from your Mama,

1962 Los Angeles