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| Jeanne Goemer hiking at Meeker County's Woodland Park. |
Jeanne never wanted to act old. I cross country skied with her until she was 86 years old, and she rode horseback until she was 87. During the summer of 2010, when she was 87, I also went kayaking with her--although it was necessary for me to drag both of the kayaks back up the steep banks after we were done.
She was a stubborn and feisty woman.
As her county commissioner, I knew that a telephone call from Jeanne meant taking action of some kind.
Sometimes the action was pleasant: she wanted me to join her for a swim in Lake Manuella or to go skiing with her at Woodland Park. Perhaps she had an extra ticket to some cultural event and wanted me to go along.
But Jeanne had other, less pleasant, requests. She was often upset about something and wanted me to get after the county park director or the county highway engineer about a maintenance issue she had observed in one of the county parks or along a road right-of-way. Or she had an idea that I should bring up at an upcoming county board meeting.
Jeanne could be very firm about what she thought needed to be done. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Besides horseback riding, skiing, and kayaking, Jeanne was an avid gardener, kept a spotlessly clean house and sang in her church choir. A retired teacher, she was a lifelong learner and world traveler, seeking out educational forums, concerts and tours. She also kept young by cultivating friendships with younger people--I was not the only friend and companion who was 25 years or more her junior. She appeared to take a genuine interest in the hopes and dreams of young people.
Jeanne's one fault was that she lacked the ability to grow old gracefully. She so resisted aging--being in excellent physical condition--that she was unable to accept limitations that come to all of us as we grow older. She fought with family, friends and caregivers, insisting on doing things "her way."
On Saturday I attended Jeanne's memorial service. There were plenty of stories shared about this tireless community and church volunteer whose physical strength, at age 90, had finally failed.
Rest in peace, old friend.
