MINNERLY,

Jean

(Age 67)

Loving mother, grandmother and friend passed away peacefully on March 8, 2010 at St. John's Lutheran Home in Billings, MT. Jean was born in Kalispell, MT on June 22, 1942 to Cecil and Emily (Wood) Thorvilson. She

spent her early years in Kalispell until her family moved to Great Falls when she was five. She attended school in Great Falls, graduating in 1960 from Great Falls High School.

Immediately after graduating from High School, Jean moved to Helena and worked for the State of Montana. It is in Helena that she met, fell in love with, and married Thomas Minnerly on April 15, 1961. Tom worked for IBM, and the corporation moved them to Anaheim, California, and White Plains, New York before the family finally settled in Spokane in 1970. Jean worked in the home and for many years as a bookkeeper for Pat Lund, CPA.

She was an avid golfer and looked forward each spring to getting back out on the links. She loved to tend her garden, read, knit and curl up with a good book. She was an active member in St. Stephen's Episcopal Church where she served as a Lay Reader, on the Altar Guild and volunteered many hours for various church activities, dinners and fundraising projects.

She loved to travel and over the past several years has taken many wonderful trips not only to visit family and friends, but to Europe, the Oregon Coast, Hawaii, Branson, Vegas, a Panama Canal Cruise and her trip of a lifetime, a safari in Africa. She and her friends would pack up and travel around, having an absolute ball.

Jean was a loving mother and grandmother and was known affectionately by her grandkids as "Mema." She always had a smile and a welcoming hug for everyone she met. She loved angels and was truly our angel here on Earth.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Emily; loving husband, Tom, son Jay and infant daughters Lisa and Gail.

Jean is survived by her daughter Lorinda (Steve) Grosso of Billings, MT and son Jeff (Kathleen) Minnerly of Spokane, grandchildren Matthew and Megan Grosso, Jeffrey, Ryan and Zachary Minnerly, brothers Roger Thorvilson of Helena, and Richard Thorvilson of Seattle, and many cousins, nieces and nephews who loved their aunt Jeannie.

Cremation has taken place. A celebration and remembrance of Jean's life will be held at 11 AM, Saturday, March 20th at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Memorials may be made to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church or Hospice of Spokane.

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