Our beautiful Jeanne Rose Woodie Munnerlyn left her earthly home to return to her sweetheart, Jim, on Thursday, April 9, 2015. This curly-haired redhead was born on September 3, 1934 to Ruth E. Woodie and Ira C. Woodie in LaGrande, Oregon.
After losing her father at a very young age to heart disease, Jeanne went on to spend a great deal of time with her aunts, Gertrude, Dorothy and Marian, as well as her grandparents and beloved cousins, Bob Goldsmith and Larry Hansen, while her mother was working so hard to provide for her young daughter. Family was everything right from the start! During her school years in Portland, Jeanne had the skills, beauty and opportunity to be the head majorette for Lincoln High School in the Rose Parade and could twirl a baton like nobody's business! She met the love of her life, James L. Munnerlyn, and they were married in 1952. Shortly after their second child was born, Jim and Jeanne were introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and were eagerly baptized. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Logan, Utah temple. Jim's job eventually took them from Oregon to Salt Lake City, Utah, where they made their home in the East Millcreek area and remained for over 50 years in the same home on Laurelcrest Street, raising their six active children. Jeanne enjoyed many camping adventures with Jim and the kids to Zion's and Arches, vacations to the Oregon coast and business trips where she and Jim could share the company of friends.
In addition to being an incredible wife, mother and homemaker, Jeanne became an experienced calligrapher, salesperson of cosmetics, amazing seamstress, and lover of nature, especially flowers and birds. Children and grandchildren can recall being serenaded by Jeanne's sweet alto voice which was also appreciated in quartets and choirs over the years. Her greatest attribute was her ability to make every single person feel important, treasured and loved and her time spent with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren was a top priority and delight. Being a faithful member of the LDS church, Jeanne had a great love for the scriptures and willingly accepted many church callings. She had most recently been a temple volunteer at the Salt Lake City LDS temple.
This amazing, kind, sweet, Christ-like woman was the epitome of unconditional love and will be dearly missed by her legacy of children: Michael (Kristine), Michele (Michael), Jennifer (Jeffrey), Kaatje (Jeffrey), Stephanie (David), Carol (Ben), 31 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren (with 6 more on the way). The family would like to thank Rocky Mountain Hospice for their loving assistance the past several months. Jeanne was cared for in the homes of her children and remained happy with a smile on her face as she endured well to the very end, despite her effects from Alzheimer's and lung disease.
Her funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at the East Mill Creek LDS Stake Center, 3103 E. Craig Drive (3600 South), in Salt Lake City. Viewing will be at 9:30 a.m. with funeral to follow at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.
