Dr. Jean Elizabeth Whitmer Obituary (1921

To view Jean's Memorial Service, Click Here. Jean grew up with two loving parents who instilled in her the value of hard work and a strong faith in God. Her mother was a teacher and education was held in high regard. She set goals early in her life. Jean didn't feel like she was especially pretty or popular so she decided that the way she could excel was by developing her mind and being the smartest person she could be. She was one of those that most of us don't like to have around; messing up the curve when grades came out. Her freshman year in college she was awarded the coveted BENN PRIZE. This prize was awarded to the student who, in the judgement of the faculty, made the most of his/her opportunities in college. She was active in the YWCA and Gospel Team, and W.A.A. besides earning all her room and board. Jean memorized many poems and scriptures, as did her mother before her. She could still recite them to the end of her life. Two Sundays before her death, when Cheryl and Charles had church with her in her hospital room, she recited Psalms 103:1-5. When 22 year old Jean got her new teaching job in a small Kansas town, one of her first goals was to find a church. She tried them all but the one she liked best had a handsome young student minister. He was friendly, outgoing, "never met a stranger" Charles Whitmer. He asked her if she would like to help with the youth group. She wanted to make sure she saw him again so she agreed. They fell in love, stayed in love and celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary on June 7, 2011. As a minister's wife in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for over 40 years, Jean took her role very seriously. She always taught a Sunday School class, she was on several committees at a time and was a leader in Christian Women's Fellowship. It would have been unthinkable for her to miss a Sunday. Jean enjoyed her church work, but she also loved learning, studying and achieving. So in 1971 Jean earned her Master's Degree and began teaching at the university. She went on to earn her Doctorate Degree in 1978 while continuing her church responsibilities and caring for her family. She drove 150 miles three times a week (after teaching all day) to the University of Colorado to achieve this goal. She was very proud when she was named Outstanding Professor in 1985. Friends have described her as amazing. One of her university students characterized her as "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," because she soared above all the "rest" and she wasn't afraid to be different. Jean loved life, her family and tried to do good for others. We don't think she realized how much people admired her and how much she taught them about love, kindness, faith and belief in God. She loved retirement (hiking in Arizona and Ruidoso, New Mexico) and she loved Hawaii. Our family celebrated Jean and Charles' 50th wedding anniversary in Hawaii and we have many happy family memories of times spent together there, the last just being two summers ago. We had planned to try one last trip this fall, and she was looking forward to that. Jean loved her friends. Friends were so important to her. Those of you here today don't realize how much you meant to her. She loved the Catalina Mountains and the beauty of God's world. She could identify all the wild flowers and knew all their Latin names. She tried so hard to teach all of us but we just weren't as smart or motivated as she was. Many of our friends have commented on what a special lady she was. Our mother made us feel special and loved. She always wanted us to excel and helped us develop many talents. Nancy was accompanying church services on the piano at the age of 8 and Cheryl was singing solos from the age of 4. She coached us into winning award after award in speech contests, 4-H cooking and sewing and science fairs. She taught us that hard work pays off. Jean was always young at heart. Even last week, Jean felt like a young energetic person. She just couldn't understand why she wasn't bouncing back. She kept repeating, "I never thought I'd have a heart attack." She never thought she was old and she always looked forward to new experiences and new friends.