Jessie Irene (Mayes) Towery

Jessie Towery, cherished mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away on April 26, 2020. She was 87 years old. Jessie was born November 5, 1932, in Salem, Oregon, to Jesse and Naomi (Dietz) Mayes. Jessie and her family lived in the Salem area most of her childhood and teen years, with a brief period living in Seaside. She married D. Marion Towery on April 28, 1951. Jessie and Marion spent many years farming in the Jefferson area. She worked on the farm managing picking crews and doing the payroll and bookkeeping responsibilities, while raising her family. Later, Marion entered the real estate field and Jessie worked in their business office performing secretarial and bookkeeping duties. Over the years, she often repainted the interior and exterior of the family home. Close friends and family began asking her to paint for them. Before long she had a full-time painting business, keeping her very busy for over 20 years. Jessie was an excellent cook and baker. She often had extra people around the family table who just happen to drop by at dinner time. She was active in her church prior to her senior years, providing service and support for many church events and dinners. Jessie loved to garden and had a reputation in Jefferson for her beautiful flowers and landscaping around her home. Her favorite times were spent with family and friends, particularly with her grandchildren. Jessie was a very special grandma to her grandchildren, creating many special memories with them on family vacations, taking them school clothes shopping, feeding the fish in her pond, or hosting sleepovers. Jessie was warm and kind to friends and strangers alike; she was described as someone about whom nothing negative could be said.

Jessie is survived by daughter Jacquelyn (Dan) Rudolph; daughter Jill (Dave) Weddle; son Audie (Suzanne) Towery; and daughter Joanie Perlenfein; brother Bill (Barbara) Mayes; grandchildren Aaron Rudolph, Kristin (Rudolph) Marshall, Amy (Weddle) Chartier, Zachary Weddle, Tiea (Carter) Vaughn, Noel Carter, Justin Mackie, Jeff Mackie, Jenna (Perlenfein) Murayama and sixteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marion; baby daughter; parents Jesse and Naomi Mayes; brother Art Mayes; and sister Marlene (Mayes) Wellman.

The family will hold a celebration of life when it is appropriate to safely gather again. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to the Towery Youth Camp Scholarship Fund of the Church of God (Seventh Day), Marion, at marioncog7.org/giving, or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice, Albany, Oregon.