Jean Rae (Wharton) MARKHAM

MARKHAM, WHARTON, WOLTERS, HACKBARTH, PETERS, LEIST, LARICK, DAVIS, WHEELER, KALLAL, KOCUREK, ANASTASI, ROACH, SMITH, HOLMES

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/29/2012 at 23:15:40

November 3, 1928 --- December 25, 2012

Jean Rae (Wharton) Markham, age 84, of Belmond, went to be with her Savior on Christmas Day December 25, 2012 at the Jerseyville Nursing and Rehab Center in Jerseyville, Illinois. God’s gift to her was the birth of his son and her final freedom from her pain. Funeral sevices for Jean Markham will be held at 11:00A.M. Monday December 31, 2012 at the Calvary Baptist Church in Belmond. Pastor Douglas Farrell will officiate. Burial will take place in the Belmond Cemetery. Visitation for Jean Markham will be held from 4:00 - 6:00 P.M. Sunday December 30, 2012 at the Dugger Funeral Home, 111 Luick's Lane South in Belmond and continue one hour prior to services at the church on Monday.

Jean Rae Markham, sixth of seven children of Ray and Ruth Wharton was born November 3, 1928 near Rowan. She grew up in Rowan where she attended school. Jean played girls basketball in high school and graduated from Rowan High School at the age of 16. She worked as a nurses aide at the Hampton Hospital after graduation. She then worked at Mode-O-Day Lingerie Factory in Mason City sewing clothes and lingerie until her marriage to her high school sweetheart, Frederick Walter Markham in 1948. To this union three girls were born, Peggy Elaine, Diane Ruth and Suzanne Fay. Preceding her in death were her husband, Freddie, her daughter, Peggy Wolters, her parents, Ruth and Ray Wharton, her brothers Roscoe, Robert and Ronald Wharton, sister, Joyce Hackbarth, Fred’s parents, Ellis and Lizzie Markham, sister-in-laws; Maurine Peters, Gladys Leist and Norma Wharton, brother-in-laws; Myron Hackbarth, Raymond Wheeler, George Leist, Valley Davis and Richard Larick, nieces; Pam Johnson and Margaret Simonson, and nephews; Tommy Wharton, Douglas Markham and Douglas Wheeler. Jean cherished her family and getting together with the Whartons and the Markhams.

Jean helped Fred with farming at Thornton and also when they moved to the farm by Clarion and Lake Cornelia. She worked ten years at Meredith Corporation from 1980 to 1990 and retired with many fond memories of her co-workers, bosses, and all the good recipes they traded at Meredith! They moved from the farm in Clarion to Belmond and enjoyed living in town. Fred passed away in February 2004 from complications of his rheumatoid arthritis and congestive heart failure just before their 56th anniversary. They were married at the Little Brown Church on Valentine’s Day on February 14, 1948, and the family always said this was so Freddie would not forget the day of their anniversary! He often gave her something red for their anniversary, a new red dress or red suit, and one year it was a red Ford Escort station wagon. Jean and Fred loved watching the NBA and MLB on TV. If you called her the last two minutes of a close game between Iowa and Indiana, you might not get her full attention! Even in her eighties Jean could still talk baseball with the best of them.

Jean accepted Jesus as her personal savior as a young girl and was baptized as a step of obedience in an outdoor ceremony in the cool waters of Clear Lake. She was a long-time member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Belmond. She served the Lord faithfully as a Sunday School Teacher, served on the Social Committee, as a Deaconess, and Missionary Treasurer. She was known for her cooking and baking of special treats. She would find out each Pastor’s baked favorites and would surprise them often with her baking. She also was a great seamstress and made her daughters beautiful matching dresses for Christmas and special occasions. Jean could drive the tractor, rustle up lunch for 10 hay balers, pluck and clean five chickens before you could turn around, and never seemed to run out of energy to give of herself to her family and friends. Jean and Fred enjoyed their farm neighbors and they became lifelong friends with these special people who worked so hard for a living!

Jean prayed faithfully that her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren would come to know Jesus Christ as their own personal savior. She read through her bible many times and showed God’s love through her actions, her heart and her prayers.

Those mourning her death are her two daughters, Diane (Ronald) Kallal, Fieldon, IL, Suzanne Markham Kocurek (Randy Anastasi, Stacy, MN) North Branch, MN, son-in-law, Gary (Rachel) Wolters of Forest City, IA, eight grandchildren, Lynn (Shereen) Wolters, St. Paul, MN, Robert (Kasey) Wolters, Albert Lea, MN, Heidi Wolters, Plymouth, MN, Joan (Brad) Roach, Fieldon, IL, Fred Kallal, Eureka, IL, Russel (Meagan) Kallal, Brighton, IL, Woodrow Kocurek IV and Amanda Jean Kocurek, North Branch, MN, and seven great-grandchildren, Katelyn Smith, James Holmes, Elliana, Madeline, Abigail and Violet Wolters, Chase Kallal, and two great-grandchildren on the way!

Jean’s family would like to thank all of her family and friends who have prayed for her, kept her close to their hearts, and are rejoicing with us that she is in her Heavenly home. She will always be with us and we will think of her whenever we smell that homemade bread, fresh cinnamon rolls, or pie baking in the oven. Every time she sewed or baked us something, she gave us a piece of her heart and a special memory!

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