Jeanne was born in Sioux City, Iowa, the second of five girls, to Ferd and Bessie Henckel. We met at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in April, 1943, and were married on November 27, 1943.

Jeanne was a beautiful lady, always meticulous in her makeup, dress, and hairdo. But she wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty with her work in the yard and with her flowers. Our home was always spic and span. She loved to cook, and always served delicious meals to her family. She was a very good dancer, and I didn’t get to sit out to many at our club. She loved to entertain our many friends, at dinners, bridge games, and at our swimming pool in the summer. She also was giving of her time and effort, as a young woman in Sioux City, helping to present a stage and style show to raise money for a burned church, and later in Aurora, IL, serving as a captain on a fund raising campaign for Aurora College. She was a lay delegate from the Aurora Chapter to the 18th annual meeting of the American Cancer Society in Chicago. She also did door to door work for the local Republican Party.

In addition to being a great wife, she was a great mother to our children, Joan and Bob Jr. We played lots of games, danced, vacationed in the summer, and just had a great family life. We rejoiced at the weddings of Joan to Trey Runnion, and later Bob Jr. and Amy Klemawisch. As our grandchildren were born, Jeanne and I were able to see them often as they were growing up Brooke, Alison and John Runnion, and Samantha Jane Critton.

Jeanne was diagnosed with ALS in July 2007. She remained at home under my care, and passed away peacefully on October 23, 2007. Jeanne will be remembered for her smile, laughter, sense of humor, and as a loving wife, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother, and for her great courage in dealing with ALS.

-Bob Critton