Juanita "Jean" Bjur

On February 22, 2016, Jean Bjur was welcomed into Heavenly peace. She was born, July 18, 1931 to Frank and Maryon Abbey in Trip County, South Dakota. She was the oldest of four children, including her siblings, Gordon Abbey, Maxine Jenkins, and Arvis Reise. The family moved from South Dakota to Idaho and eventually settled in Union Gap. Jean graduated from Yakima High School (now Davis) in 1949. She married Robert Lauren Bjur the same year and together they settled in the Lombard Loop area of Zillah. Jean and Robert took over the family farming operation and started their own family including; Robert Wayne, Susan Marie, Gary Lauren, Laura Lee, Sandra Gaye, Ronald Carl, Joann Leslie, and Brian Eugene.

Jean was a very active mother and was very involved in her children’s sporting activities. She was a football, basketball, baseball, and a horse show mom. She never tired of going to events to watch her children compete. At horse shows, she would be the one to put the last spit and polish on horse and daughter before they went into the show ring. At her children’s football, basketball, and baseball games she was often noted with raised eyebrows by coaches and referees with for her enthusiastic sideline coaching. She also enjoyed watching her grandchildren and great grandchildren in their sporting events and was present at many games in supporting Zillah, Toppenish and at Riverside Christian teams. She enjoyed special occasions to spend time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren at school events and trips to California, Hawaii, and Disneyland. She was an extremely talented knitter and made countless blankets, scarves, and sweaters for her family. She loved to read, watch tennis on TV, and swim in the summer.

She loved to travel and often spent her winters in Palm Springs. She took a trip to Israel where she visited the Holy Land sites described in the bible. She also traveled extensively with her daughter Laura, and visited Hawaii, Maine, Boston and Florida. She traveled to Jamaica for her daughter, Joann’s wedding to Joel and even climbed up a waterfall! She recently traveled back to the East Coast with her sister Arvis to visit relatives and was able to fulfill her bucket list wish to see Niagara Falls on her 84th birthday!

She was a lifelong supporter and member of the Buena Grange and Parker Heights Presbyterian Church. She served as a deacon and an elder at the church. Her church family was indeed part of her extended family. Her faith in God sustained her through the many trials that came her way and she always endured with strength and faith.

Jean was active as any 84 year old could be. She was always on the run with her chai tea in hand and her social calendar was full. She played pinochle, went to movies with friends, and had dinner with her high school classmates every month. She will be dearly missed by many people whose lives she touched.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Maryon; siblings, Maxine and Gordon; children, Wayne and Sandra Bjur; sons-in-law, Tim Matzen, Jim Kinzel, and Randy Colton and precious angel, great-granddaughter, Nadia Solana Bjur-Rodriguez. She is survived by her sister Arvis; her children: Susan, Gary (Colleen), Laura, Ron (Tami), Joann (Joel), and Brian. She is also survived by multiple grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many others who thought of her as mom, grandma, or sister in Christ.

Visitation will be from 1pm to 8pm, Thursday, March 3, 2016 at Keith & Keith Funeral Home.

Graveside service will be held at 10am, Friday, March 4 at West Hills Memorial Park followed by a memorial service, 11:30am, Friday, March 4 at Parker Heights Presbyterian Church in Wapato, WA.

To share a memory of Jean, please visit www.keithandkeith.com.