Audrey Elaine Jessen

April 10, 2014

Audrey Elaine Reeh Jessen age 89 of Blair, died April 10, 2014 at Good Shepherd Village in Blair. Funeral services will be held at 11:00AM Monday, April 14 at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Visitation will be held Sunday beginning at 3:00PM with family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00PM at the funeral home. A prayer service will be held at 7:00PM on Sunday at the funeral home. Audrey Elaine Jessen was born on February 24, 1925 in Blair to John M and Edith Grace (Compton) Reeh. She was raised west of Herman on the family farm and attended at Thone School. At the age of 13 she began high school at Blair Public School. While attending high school she lived with her grandparents in Blair. Audrey was a member of the Blair High School class of 1941. On March 24, 1943 she was united in marriage to John J. Jessen at her parent’s home north of Kennard. After the couple was married they moved to South Carolina where John was serving in the Army Air Force. When John shipped out to the South Pacific with the military, Audrey moved back to live with her parents. The couple first child John Jr. was born on December 1, 1944, after being discharged from the service the family moved to a farm north of Kennard and welcomed their second child, Marvin on June 5, 1948. Audrey worked with her husband on the farm until their retirement in 1984, when they moved to Blair. Audrey was a member of First Lutheran Church in Blair and a former member of Emmaus Lutheran in Kennard. She was very active in circles in both churches. She served on the board of directors of Good Shepherd Lutheran Community, was a member of a Thursday morning bible study group for 30 years and a member of the Papio Thursday afternoon club for many years. She volunteered with the American Cancer Society, transporting patients who needed treatment in Omaha, and at Good Shepherd helping with bingo and bringing cookies to the group. The last 9 years she was a resident of Shepherds Village in Blair. Audrey is survived by her son John J. Jr. (Mary Lou) of Rock Springs, WY, daughter in law Patricia Jessen of Blair, grandchildren; Joel Jessen, Jim (Debbie) Jessen, Amy Jessen, Anne (Birch) Smith, Josh (LeeAnn) Jessen of Rock Springs, WY, Joe (Carissa) Jessen of Omaha and Kristi (Jay) Wolff of Blair, great grandchildren; Jacob Jessen, Ashley Jessen, Max, Sam and Maggie Smith, Elyssa, Austin and Audrey Jessen of Rock Springs, WY, Shelby, Brady, and Bentley Wolff of Blair, Jack Jessen of Omaha, Stephanie (Will) Gardner of Branford, CT, great great grandchildren; Micah and Chloe Gardner of Branford, CT, brother Alan (Arlene) Reeh of Fremont, sister Barbara (Ervin) Wulf of Fremont, sisters in law; Betty Reeh, Mary Mawery, Ruth Thompson and Gloria (Lee) Kuhr, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband John J. Jessen in 1993, son Marvin D. Jessen in 1993, grandson Brice Jesson in 2012, parents John and E. Grace Reeh, brothers Gordon Reeh and Roger Reeh, sister in law Dorothy Kuhl and brother in law Howard Thompson Memorials may be directed to Good Shepherd Lutheran Community or First Lutheran Church in Blair