Mrs Jeanne Rhea Jeske

Mrs. Jeanne Rhea Jeske, age 91, of Grants Pass, died Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at her home.

A memorial service will be at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, March 24, 2011 at Oak Lane Retirement Center, 727 SW Rogue River Avenue, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526.

Donations in Mrs. Jeske’s name are requested to be made to Wildlife Images, PO Box 36, Merlin, Oregon 97532.

Mrs. Jeanne Rhea Jeske, the daughter of Brice Rhea and Margaret Talbot, was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois in April, 1919. She had three sisters who predeceased her. She graduated from the Chicago Conservancy of Music, studied privately with Ms. Emily Field, and performed extensively as a soprano opera singer. Her favorite works were “Ava Maria” by Schubert, Madam Butterfly by Puccini, and La Traviata. She married her husband, William Robert Jeske in 1951 at Crowne Point, Indiana, and the couple lived with their son Michael in St. Charles, Illinois until 1957 when they moved to Southern California. There, Mrs. Jeske worked in the defense industry for a time as well as maintaining a busy household. In 1966, the family relocated to Colorado, settling in the Rocky Mountains in Evergreen, Colorado near Denver; later Mrs. Jeske and her husband moved to Kalispell, Montana. In 1990 they moved to Grants Pass, to be closer to their son, Michael who practices law here. In her earlier life, Mrs. Jeske was renowned as a professional operatic singer and personally knew such show business luminaries as Jack Benny, Rochester, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Johnny Agar, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jerry Lewis. She enjoyed knitting, cooking for her family, crocheting, was a seamstress, quilter, and peacemaker, and she also excelled as a painter and artist. She remains well loved by her family and friends who will miss her compassion, warmth, and personal touch in their daily lives.