Elizabeth Jeannette Simons
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Elizabeth Jeannette Simons
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After a series of five boys, another girl was born to George and Jenny Simons.
On December 10, 1895, Elizabeth Jeannette came into the world and was christened
with the same name as her mother. She was a spirited child with lovely, curly
hair. Her hair was very important to her. As an adult, Jeannette related a story
about being jealous of her cousin, Aurora, who had long blond hair that she
would braid and wear long down her back.
Jeannette was sickly in her infancy. Perhaps it was because of her ill health,
her character, or a combination of both, that she seemed to be a favourite of
her father. Her father nicknamed her "Tootsy," a name which the family continued
to call her all her life.
Jeannette was only seven when her mother died, although she remembered her
mother well and talked of her lovingly as an adult. Her big sisters Ollie and
Carrie had always helped with the younger children and Carrie, who was still at
home when her mother died, continued this care. Tootsy told the story about how
Carrie had one hip larger than the other which Tootsy accredited to the fact
that her older sister carried baby Jeannette on her hip so often.
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Jeannette Simons (far right) with unknown companions |
Eventually George hired a housekeeper, Jennie Overbay-Keys-Louthain, whom he
later married. She brought with her a daughter named Amy, who was only a few
years younger than Jeannette. The marriage only lasted six years. After the
divorce, Jennie and her daughter Amy moved to Creston.
Jeannette attended Mountainview school with her siblings and then went on to
high school in Creston. There is one story that while in high school, Jeannette
had a boyfriend from the local area who unfortunately drowned.
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Graduation Picture, Sacred Heart School of Nursing |
After high school in Creston, Jeannette went to Cheney Normal School for one
year. Whether it was during her high school days or after her year at Cheney,
Tootsy also worked for Will and Mayme Kunz, possibly as a mother's helper. While
working for the Kunzes, she expressed her interest in nursing and they
encouraged her to follow her dream.
Jeannette attended Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Spokane, Washington. After
finishing nurse’s training, Jeannette worked as a private duty nurse. As such,
she cared for Will Kunz's wife Mayme when she contacted tuberculosis. Mayme was
pregnant at the time. Mayme was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital for the
delivery of the baby but the infant only lived a few hours. Mayme also died
about a week later. After Mayme's death, Jeannette continued caring for Will's
children. A year later, the two were married.
To learn more about Jeannette's life after she married Will Kunz, please go to Leo Charles and William Nicholas in the Kunz line.
To continue reading about the other children of George and Jeannette, follow the links below:
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