She was born in a farmhouse in Thackerville, Oklahoma, on May 1, 1934 to Oce and Bernice Morgan. She had an older brother, David, and a younger sister, Louise. This is where she spent most of her growing up years, helping on the farm and enjoying rural life. Her family moved to Napa California for a few years so her father could work in the shipyards in San Francisco during WWII, to earn the money to pay off the family farm. While in Napa, Jean, her mother and siblings worked in an orchard picking fruit, which she didn’t enjoy very much!
Jean excelled in school and was Valedictorian of her graduating class. She loved to read and played basketball. She was active in First Baptist Church where her Father served as a deacon. School is where she met Frank Wolfe, one of the infamous “Wolfe” boys, and they fell in love.
Frank & Jean married on June 10th, 1952 in Thackerville. They lived in Fairbanks Alaska and Ardmore Oklahoma before moving to Midland Texas in 1958. It is here that they raised their 2 girls, Rachel & Kim, and enjoyed the remainder of their lives.
They joined Crestview Baptist Church shortly after moving to Midland, and this is where they served faithfully through the years. Jean taught and then directed the preschool /kindergarten program for 29 years. She loved and cherished her time there, working with amazing women of God and touching the lives of countless children. The preschool/kindergarten was, and still is, such a ministry to Midland and she was honored to be a part of it. The friendships she made here lasted a lifetime.
After her retirement from Crestview in 1999 she enjoyed volunteering as a docent at the Scarborough/Lineberry House in Midland for several years.
Jean faithfully sang in the Crestview choir for many years. She loved praising God through music, and passed this love down to her family. Her children and grandchildren all accepted Christ and were baptized at Crestview. Music was an important part of all of their lives.
Jean was always a very happy, optimistic person. She always had a smile and something to say!! She loved telling you about anything Christopher or Morgan were doing at the time. Even in her final days she was happy, content and smiling! What a blessing she was to those who worked with her at Legacy Ranch and the visitors she had. Even though her speech was affected, she could still sing the hymns she loved so much. This blessing was a way we could communicate and interact with her in her final years.
She loved having her family close, and enjoyed all the activities her children and grandchildren were involved with. They were a blessing to her life! She went to countless band concerts, choir concerts, football games and dance recitals! She also loved to travel and went to many destinations with friends and her family.
She is survived by her daughter, Rachel Etheredge & her husband Ken, of Midland; daughter, Kim Wolfe, of San Angelo; Grandson, Christopher Etheredge, wife Laura Beth and their children Luke & Caroline, of Andrews; and granddaughter Morgan Clardy, husband, Nathan and their children Lela, Eli, Josiah & Faith, of South East Asia.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Wolfe, her parents and her siblings.
Visitation will be held at Ellis Funeral Home on Thursday evening, August 8th, from 6:00-8:00 pm.
Services will be held at Crestview Baptist Church on Friday, August 9th, at 10:30 am. Dr. Larry Ashlock will officiate. Honorary pallbearers are all the amazing aides and teachers she worked with at Crestview Baptist Church through the years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the building fund at Crestview Baptist Church, or any charity of your choice.
