Vivian Jean (LaBarr) MINER

MINER, LABARR, CURRIERI, TRAYNOR

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/24/2008 at 10:04:55

Seattle Times, WA
August 24, 2008

Vivian Jean LaBarr Miner passed away at Providence Hospital in Everett on Sunday, August 17th, after suffering a stroke. Her loving and devoted two sons, two daughters, and extended family spent her final days with her. Jean, as she was known by all, was born in Clarion, Iowa, on September 19th, 1921. She grew up on a farm just outside of Clarion with her folks, two sisters and one brother, all of whom preceded her in death. It was in that rural setting that she met a boy down the road, Glenn Miner, who would become her life partner and soul mate. Jean and Glenn dated during high school, and Jean attended college for a year, but her true calling was to be a wife and mother. Jean and Glenn married in June of 1942 and began their life together. They moved to Seattle to help in the World War II effort by working at Boeing, but returned to the Miner family farm after Glenn received his draft notice. Health issues kept him out of the war, so Jean and Glenn farmed their small acreage but always talked about how much they loved the Northwest. When it became apparent that four hungry kids and 80 acres of Iowa farmland weren't going to add up to economic prosperity, they packed up the family and moved back to Seattle, and Glenn returned to Boeing. Jean ran a very busy home in White Center, with four children, plenty of friends, and always a cat or two. Jean also worked at nearby Cascade Middle School for 15 years, where she made a number of lifelong friends. She and the family were longtime members of Highland Park Methodist Church and were active in the Boeing Gourmet and Wine Club. After retirement, they moved to a new home in Lake Stevens, where they enjoyed several years before moving to the Garden Court Retirement Center in Everett. Once Glenn passed on, Jean spent the final portion of her life at Sunrise Assisted Living in Snohomish, where she again made new acquaintances and enjoyed a wide range of activities, including scrabble, in which few were her equal.

Jean lived a rich and full life, and she will be greatly missed by daughters Sheila (Michael) Currieri of Lake Stevens and Cindy (Roger) Traynor of Seattle, sons Greg (Clarice) Miner of Marysville and Tony (Janelle) Miner of LaConner, as well as her seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. But her love of life, her love for Glenn and her family, her faith in God, and her kindness to all will be remembered and cherished forever. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on September 14th at Snohomish United Methodist Church.