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| Baby Jeanne and her sister Margaret (Peggy) |
Her father worked as private secretary and chauffeur for Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey, who was an ambassador. Because of this, she lived in Toronto, London, and Washington DC.
As a child, Jeanne lived with her family on Massey's estate and grew up playing with her 2 friends Ruthie Peters and Aline Athey. She liked to swim and go horseback riding, play with farm animals, fish, and climb
trees. In the winter her father would flood the backyard so the children could ice skate.
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| Jeanne and Peggy |
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| Back row-Peggy Front row-Campbell, Beatson, JeanneWallace |
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| Me, Judy Koch Wallace (Beatson's wife), Agnes P. Wallace (Jeanne's mother) Beatson Wallace (Jeanne's brother) Jeanne and Don Stoker 1983 |
In 2nd and 3rd grade she attended a one room school house in Canada. She was the only girl out of 10 students. She liked to play basketball, but frequently got hit in the face and her glasses would break. She didn't want anyone to know so she put them in her satchel. When she got home her Dad would say, "Where are they?" Getting them fixed was a common occurrence.
When she was in school in London she was the only student in the class to solve an English problem, but her brother had helped her. She went up to her teacher who was the head master and told him she'd had help. He commended her for being honest.
She liked to attend the ballet and plays and enjoyed going to dances at the church with her husband. She also liked movies. Her favorite movies were Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz, and Shirley Temple movies. Her favorite book was Little Women.
She was afraid of heights and being alone in the fog. Once she had gotten lost in the fog and a bobby (british police officer) had to help her home.
Jeanne's father was a military officer during World War I and World War II. He was away from the family for 7 years. In 1938, while living in England, she carried a little gas mask to school in a box with a shoulder strap. Once she forgot her mask and was sent home. They had to hang black drapes in windows at night so no light could be seen from outside.
In 1939 her mother decided to take the family back to Canada. They were booked to sail on the cruise line Athenia, but her mother had a strong feeling not to take the ship. Private ships were supposed to be safe from war actions, but the ship was sunk and never arrived in Canada. They boarded the Empress of Australia and although they were chased by German subs, they arrived safely. Unfortunately her father was not notified of their safety for a time and believed his family had perished on the Athenia.
Jeanne loved her father and wrote this letter when she was 20 yrs. old in Salt Lake City, UT. Her father was in Devon, England: "Dear Daddy: This is your blue-eyed Daughter, wishing you a very Happy Birthday. If I could be near you, I would just squeeze you to death. You are ever in my thoughts and I wish you every happiness."
While she was in Salt Lake she met Don Stoker at the "Rainbow Rendezvous." They were married August 27, 1946. Their honeymoon was a bus trip to California. They lived in Salt Lake City and when Don graduated from Law School moved to California where they lived for 51 years.
She has been a citizen of 3 countries. She was born in England, became a citizen of Canada, and on Feb. 19, 1948 became a citizen of the United States of America.
Jeanne and Don had 5 children who were all well-educated. When the children received their degree/degrees they tossed the tassel onto a decanter in their mom's china hutch. Although she didn't get to graduate from college it seemed as if those tassels belonged to her. She was a faithful and dedicated mother.
Jeanne was a Primary/Sunday School worker for 40 years. She loved teaching the CTR 8 class and preparing the children for baptism. In her later years her daughter, Cathy, visited the home ward where the leader asked everyone who had had Jeanne Stoker as a teacher or worked with her in Primary to stand. Cathy was surprised at the amount of people standing.
She was a generous and wonderful grandmother. She stayed in her grandchildren's lives by sending packages filled with fruit snacks, granola bars and other treats and remembering their birthdays. She liked her grandchildren to look nice so kept them in StrideRite shoes and Easter outfits. She always requested that the little boys have their picture taken in short pants so she could "see their cute little knees."
At Thanksgiving, 2004 she was asked what she would want her family to know if she died. Her response was, "I will have them in the next world. I want them to know the church is true and that we all have to earn a testimony as we go through life. Our Heavenly Father is very pleased with us when we keep the commandments and choose right from wrong. I want my children to know that I love them all very much and hope they realize that the things I have done have been for their best interest. I pray for a good life for all of them."
Jeanne liked to run. However sometimes when she ran races she would turn around to look at the competition. Those races she didn't win, but if she kept her eyes on the goal sometimes she did win.
Her hobbies were collecting spoons, postcards, stamps, coins and china tea cups. She loved playing with and collecting dolls. When I first went to the Stoker home I was impressed with the nice collection of Madame Alexander dolls in Jeanne's daughter's room . When I had daughters Grandma Stoker bought each of them a very special American Girl Doll. Actually, I believe Cathy facilitated Rebecca's acquisition to carry on the lovely tradition.
Jeanne liked board games and jigsaw puzzles. She liked to make scrapbooks, especially of the Royal Family in England. She enjoyed singing and sang in youth choir and adult choir in church. She played violin for a few years. She had a wonderful knitting talent and won first place in the Utah State fair for a baby blanket. Each of her adult children received one of these beautiful blankets when they had their first child.
She liked to attend the ballet and plays and enjoyed going to dances at the church with her husband. She also liked movies. Her favorite movies were Sound of Music, Wizard of Oz, and Shirley Temple movies. Her favorite book was Little Women.
She was afraid of heights and being alone in the fog. Once she had gotten lost in the fog and a bobby (british police officer) had to help her home.
Jeanne's father was a military officer during World War I and World War II. He was away from the family for 7 years. In 1938, while living in England, she carried a little gas mask to school in a box with a shoulder strap. Once she forgot her mask and was sent home. They had to hang black drapes in windows at night so no light could be seen from outside.
In 1939 her mother decided to take the family back to Canada. They were booked to sail on the cruise line Athenia, but her mother had a strong feeling not to take the ship. Private ships were supposed to be safe from war actions, but the ship was sunk and never arrived in Canada. They boarded the Empress of Australia and although they were chased by German subs, they arrived safely. Unfortunately her father was not notified of their safety for a time and believed his family had perished on the Athenia.
Jeanne loved her father and wrote this letter when she was 20 yrs. old in Salt Lake City, UT. Her father was in Devon, England: "Dear Daddy: This is your blue-eyed Daughter, wishing you a very Happy Birthday. If I could be near you, I would just squeeze you to death. You are ever in my thoughts and I wish you every happiness."
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| Engagement picture |
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| 719 Esther Way, Redlands, CA |
She has been a citizen of 3 countries. She was born in England, became a citizen of Canada, and on Feb. 19, 1948 became a citizen of the United States of America.
Jeanne and Don had 5 children who were all well-educated. When the children received their degree/degrees they tossed the tassel onto a decanter in their mom's china hutch. Although she didn't get to graduate from college it seemed as if those tassels belonged to her. She was a faithful and dedicated mother.
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| Don and Jeanne with their children John, Don, Paul, Cathy and Barbara |
Jeanne was a Primary/Sunday School worker for 40 years. She loved teaching the CTR 8 class and preparing the children for baptism. In her later years her daughter, Cathy, visited the home ward where the leader asked everyone who had had Jeanne Stoker as a teacher or worked with her in Primary to stand. Cathy was surprised at the amount of people standing.
She was a generous and wonderful grandmother. She stayed in her grandchildren's lives by sending packages filled with fruit snacks, granola bars and other treats and remembering their birthdays. She liked her grandchildren to look nice so kept them in StrideRite shoes and Easter outfits. She always requested that the little boys have their picture taken in short pants so she could "see their cute little knees."
At Thanksgiving, 2004 she was asked what she would want her family to know if she died. Her response was, "I will have them in the next world. I want them to know the church is true and that we all have to earn a testimony as we go through life. Our Heavenly Father is very pleased with us when we keep the commandments and choose right from wrong. I want my children to know that I love them all very much and hope they realize that the things I have done have been for their best interest. I pray for a good life for all of them."
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| Grandma Stoker with Daniel, David, Emily and Mark |
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| Grandma with Nathan |
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| Grandma and Paul with Aaron |
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| Grandma with Eliza and Rebecca |
