Eugenia Nadine Wright was born Dec. 13, 1926, in Utica, to Wilbur Oliver and Lillie Addie (Shirley) Wright and passed away Feb. 3, 2023, in Seward, at the age of 96 years, 1 month and 21 days.
Jeannie was born on a farm near Utica, just over in York County, joining her sister, Lucille, and brother, Thomas, who were in eighth grade. The next Palm Sunday, she was baptized in the Methodist Episcopal Church of Utica. Her family moved to Utica when she was two years old, moving again when she was five to Goehner, where she attended school until she was 15, when they moved to Seward. Jeannie joined the Seward Methodist Church in 1943. She started working at Jones National Bank and continued until she married Robert W. Jeary on Sept. 4, 1949.
Jeannie started out like every baby girl, a child, a teenager, a business lady, a wife, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. What she had not planned was what additional titles were to be added during the next 90 years. She thought she married a farmer, expecting to leave her job at the bank and move to a farm north of town to live happily ever after. Little did she know God had other plans. Two years later she found herself married to a soldier, who by then was stationed overseas, so she was back in her old room at home and at her old job with the bank.
Three more years down the road, she found herself married to a dairy man and was in the business of bottling milk for customers. A few short years later, she woke up and was told she was married to a county commissioner. Politics became front and center in her life. Next, she was a rural mail carrier’s wife, and later first lady of the Nebraska State Grange, when her husband was elected State Master.
While wearing all these hats, she was still able to do her own things, such as teaching Sunday School for over 40 years, serving as superintendent at different times, president of the United Methodist Women twice, singing in the church choir, serving on many boards, trained and served as a Stephens Minister, 4-H, Campfire and Boy Scout leader. She was also president of Seward Ladies Bowling League, member of Seward 4th of July committee and a para for over 30 years in the Seward School System, while raising three children, bottling milk and driving grain trucks. Jeannie was a member of the United Methodist Church for over 70 years and a Nebraska State Grange member for over 60 years, holding numerous state offices.
This explains, then, what she has on her refrigerator: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather skid in sideways chocolate in one hand and Pepsi in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out shouting Who-Hoo what a ride!” Yes, her body is well used up; it took lots of praying. God and his angels have been on duty 24-7, but you know what, she would do it all again in a heartbeat!
She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert in 2007; parents, Wilbur and Lillie Wright; parents-in-law, Walter and Bonalyn Jeary; brothers, Clifford Wright, Thomas and wife, Bernece Wright; sister, Lucille and husband, Wilbur Hauder; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dale and Genevieve Batchelder; and brother-in-law, Mel King.
Jeannie is survived by her three children, Beth Eberspacher, Lincoln, Pamela (Rick) McConnell, Seward, and Clark (Nancy) Jeary, Ashland; 10 grandchildren, Clinton (Elisabeth) Eberspacher, Dana LeBlanc, Evan (Kaely) Eberspacher, Amanda (Chris) Kenney, Wendy (James) Herrold, Alyssa (Roger) Cattle, Austin (Leah) Jeary, Brittany (Josh) Beckwith, Trent Jeary (Sidney), Bryant Jeary (Morgan); 16 great-grandchildren, Caleb, Zoë, and Phoebe Eberspacher, Eleanor, August, Abel and Hazel Eberspacher, Nicole, Samuel and Timothy Kenney, Josie and Jeremiah Herrold, Miles and Micah Cattle, Palmer and Walker Jeary; sisters-in-law, Virginia Jeary and Glema King; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Seward United Methodist Church with interment at the Seward Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Jeary family for future designations to Jeannie's favorite charities. Arrangements by Zabka-Perdue Funeral Home.
