Margaret Jean Thurber

She loved the visits from family members that lived far away, the constant phone calls just to say hi, constant family dinners at her son’s home, birthday parties, Christmas gatherings, Thanksgiving dinner, and Halloween (to see the cute kids costumes). She loved watching her grandson’s play football, baseball and soccer. She loved playing cribbage with everyone and playing Solitaire. She wasn’t completely dressed unless she had a necklace and earrings on. Looking nice was very important to her. She was a great cook and always sent us home with a large goody bag of left-overs. Life was good.

Jean Thurber was born Margaret Jean Cameron to David & Maud Cameron in Elbow, Saskatchewan on August 28, 1916. There was a question about the date, her father registered her birth as August 27, but was actually August 28. She celebrated her birthday on both days!

She was the eldest of five children. She attended school in Elbow and helped with her sisters and little brother. Her father sold gasoline in Elbow and her mother was a stay-at-home mother. Jean quit school at the age of 14 and helped with housekeeping for families in Elbow.

She met Charlie Thurber who worked for her father. They married when she was 17 years old. They lived in a little house near her parents and started a family. They went on to have 5 children in the next 11 years. Charlie was mostly a farmer and hired hand. He also raised horses. Jean cooked for the many workers on the farm – the thrashing crew from the dusty fields. She became a wonderful cook. It was a tough life.

They finally left farm work and moved to the city of Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Mom worked at a laundry and restaurant and Dad was a truck driver. Their children were getting married and starting their own families by now. Life was still hard. It was time for another change. Charlie’s brother George asked them to immigrate to Seattle. He had a job lined up and a house to live in. They decided to go for it.

In April 1962, they took their youngest son, Don, with them and moved to Seattle. The World’s Fair opened in Seattle soon after they arrived. This was the year of the famed Columbus Day Storm. That was quite a welcome! They set up house, Charlie worked a couple of maintenance jobs then found a permanent custodial job with the Highline School District. Donald got a job and after a year or so, he got his own apartment. Charlie and Jean had an opportunity to manage an apartment building in downtown Seattle, so they rented out their house (which burned down and was later sold) and moved to Seattle. They loved what they were doing. Charlie still worked for the school district, and they managed, together, to handle the responsibilities of the apartment building. Their son Don married another Jean and they moved into the apartment building and lived there for one year. It was a great get-acquainted time.

Charlie and Jean found opportunities to manage apartment buildings in better shape and moved on to nicer buildings. The last building they managed changed their minds about apartment managing and how dangerous it had become. Two young men came to the door saying they wanted to see the vacant apartment that was for rent. Once they got inside, they beat and robbed Mom and Dad. That was it! Over all, they managed 4 buildings and it was fun until this happened.

By now, Charlie was retired and they decided to live in an apartment where they didn’t have to fix things. They lived in Kent for about six years before moving to White Center to be nearer to their son and his family. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary before Charlie started to show a decline in his health - he passed away nearly one year after this move. Mom continued to live in the apartment in White Center and did so for 25 more years.

Mom joined the Highland Park United Methodist Church the year of Charlie’s death and that is where she met her “best friend” Fern. They were baptized together and had a very close relationship from 1985 and on. That close friendship was the main reason she moved to Wesley Homes. That, besides the fact she was now 92 and needed just a little help with life now.

There were so many good times in her life. There were back and forth trips to visit family in Canada. There were reunions, trips down the Oregon coast, to California (Disneyland), etc.

Mom had 5 children, 22 grandchildren, 38 great grandchildren and 39 great-great grandchildren. She knew most of them. The families were good about sending pictures and making phone calls to her.

It was a privilege to know Jean, love and be loved by Jean, and to spend so much of the past 47 years with her as a daughter-in-law. At her death, she was a much loved Mother, Sister, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Great-Great Grandmother.