Obituary of Jean Gardiner Alverson

Jean Gardiner Alverson passed away peacefully on Friday, July 4, 2014 in St. Paul, MN. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at the Herman-Taylor Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids, with a service to follow at 4 pm. A private burial will be held in Hancock on Thursday, July 24, 2014. Jean was born on June 8, 1920 in Portage County to James and Lulu (Gardiner) Ripton. She married Darrel L. Alverson on December 21, 1938. They celebrated 62 years of marriage until Darrel's death on June 7, 2001. Jean and Darrel lived most of their lives in Wisconsin Rapids, where they raised their four children. In 1999, Jean and Darrel moved to be near their son in Mt. Horeb. When Darrel passed away in 2001, Jean moved to Minocqua to be close to one of her daughters. In 2009, when Jean needed more support, she moved to an assisted living facility in St. Paul near her daughter Jill. While living in Wisconsin Rapids, Jean and Darrel were members of the Congregational Church of Wisconsin Rapids. Darrel was a lifelong member of the Masonic Lodge, and Jean was a member of Eastern Star. When the children were young, Jean was a Cub Scout and Brownie leader. Once the children were older, Jean worked for many years at J.C. Penneys. She enjoyed camping with her family and golfing with Darrel. Once Darrel retired, they spent many happy years spending their winters in Florida and their summers on Pleasant Lake in Coloma. Jean loved to sew and work on many types of craft projects. She was still doing beautiful embroidery up to the time of her death. But what Jean loved the most was time with her family, and she was surrounded by the love of her children in her final days. Survivors include son, James Alverson, Janesville; daughters, Susan (Richard) Schnetzler, Hermantown, MN; Joy (Marlin) Gohlke, Butternut; and Jill (Tom) Alverson, St. Paul, MN; granddaughter, Holly Schnetzler, Brooklyn Park, MN; grandson, Niels (Natasha) Schionnemann, Zurich, Switzerland; sister, Jessie Nelson, Madison; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Darrel and her parents. The very one who rocked us in the beginning, needed us most in the end…we were there with our tender hearts and our steadfast loyalty, doing the right thing exactly the way she would have hoped, exactly the way she taught us to do. We love you and will miss you Mom.