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Jeanne was born to Irl and Addie Laux on September 30, 1923, in West Ridge, Arkansas. She passed away in Fresno on March 3, 2018 at the age of 94 with her children by her side. She had a younger sister, Ruth, a younger brother, Billy Wayne, and a cousin Larry Little. When the children were very young, the family moved to Neosho, Missouri, where Jeanne attended school. She graduated from Neosho High School in 1941. She played the clarinet in the high school band, and had a lifelong love of music. It was in Neosho that Jeanne fell in love with a young man named Richard Olmstead, and they married when Jeanne was eighteen. They were married less than a year when they were in an automobile accident. Richard did not survive the accident. Due to the Great Depression, in 1941 Jeanne’s parents and siblings moved to Fresno, California, to find work. At the age of nineteen, Jeanne joined her family in Fresno. When World War II began, Jeanne worked for the War effort at Hammer Field airfield as a telegrapher, and as a shift supervisor in the drill press and fabrication department to repair damaged war planes. During this time, Jeanne met Laurel Shannon, who was in the U.S. Navy. They married on April 12, 1944. They were married 62 years until his death in 2006. They had four children; Diane, Stephen, Bonner, and Rebecca. Jeanne was a wonderful mother and homemaker. She loved nothing more than being with her family, and her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was always involved in all of her children’s activities including cub scouts, boy scouts, brownies, girl scouts, dance classes, majorette events and was a team mother at her son’s sporting events. She also attended her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s sporting and school events with great pride. Jeanne was a member of the La Tienda Guild of Valley Children’s Hospital for over 25 years. She loved volunteering weekly at the La Tienda Guild Thrift Shop. Jeanne will be remembered for her love of all children and her love of family. She loved music, dancing, gardening, playing Bingo, poker games, spending time in the mountains and at the coast with family and life-long friends, and she loved to eat a lot of everything. She will be remembered for her beautiful eyes that could look right into your soul, her soft and frequent little chuckle, her positive outlook, her spirituality and her connection with angels. Jeanne is preceded in death by her husband Laurel Shannon; sister Ruth Dreith; brother Billy Wayne Laux. She is survived by her children; Diane Brady, Stephen Shannon and his wife Mary Hill, Bonner Shannon and his wife Peggy and Rebecca Shannon; grandchildren Rick Shannon and his wife Tara, Brad Shannon, Tom Shannon and his wife Tracy, Elizabeth and Andrew Hill; great-grandchildren Ricky and Aiden Shannon and Katelyn and Cole Shannon. The family wishes to give heartfelt thanks to Pamela Blanchard, Maribel Borruel and Ilene Rodriquez of Optimal Hospice for their kind, loving and unwavering care and support. We wish to also thank Brad Hamilton and mother’s caregivers Rosie Garcia, Jessica Penner and Miranda Payne for their gentle and loving care. A Memorial Service will be held at Chapel of the Light on Saturday, March 17, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the La Tienda Guild of Valley Children’s Hospital or Optimal Hospice.

Tributes

Jeanne Kathryn Shannon

September 30, 1923 - March 3, 2018