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Audrey Elaine Reeh Jessen, 89, of Blair, died April 10, 2014, at Good Shepherd Village in Blair.

Services will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 14 at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Visitation will be Sunday beginning at 3 p.m. with family receiving friends 6-8 p.m. at Campbell-Aman Funeral Home in Blair. A prayer service will begin at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home.

Audrey Elaine Reeh was born Febr. 24, 1925, in Blair to John M. and Edith Grace (Compton) Reeh.

She was raised west of Herman on the family farm and attended Thone School. At the age of 13, she began high school at the Blair Public Schools. While attending high school, she lived with her grandparents in Blair. She was a member of the Blair High School Class of 1941.

On March 24, 1943, she married John J. Jessen at her parent’s home north of Kennard. After the couple was married they moved to South Carolina where John was serving in the Army Air Force. When John shipped out to the South Pacific with the military, Audrey moved back to live with her parents.

The couple’s first child, John Jr., was born Dec. 1, 1944. After Mr. Jessen was discharged from the service, the family moved to a farm north of Kennard and welcomed their second child, Marvin, on June 5, 1948.

Mrs. Jessen worked with her husband on the farm until their retirement in 1984, when they moved to Blair.

She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Blair and a former member of Emmaus Lutheran Church in Kennard.

She was very active in circles in both churches. She served on the board of directors of Good Shepherd Lutheran Community, was a member of a Thursday morning Bible study group for 30 years and a member of the Papio Thursday afternoon club for many years. She volunteered with the American Cancer Society, transporting patients who needed treatment in Omaha, and at Good Shepherd, helping with bingo and bringing cookies to the group.

The last nine years, she was a resident of Shepherds Village in Blair.

She is survived by her son John J. Jr. (Mary Lou) of Rock Springs, Wyo.; daughter-in-law Patricia Jessen of Blair; grandchildren: Joel Jessen, Jim (Debbie) Jessen, Amy Jessen, Anne (Birch) Smith, Josh (LeeAnn) Jessen of Rock Springs, Wyo., Joe (Carissa) Jessen of Omaha and Kristi (Jay) Wolff of Blair; great-grandchildren: Jacob Jessen, Ashley Jessen, Max, Sam and Maggie Smith, Elyssa, Austin and Audrey Jessen of Rock Springs, Wyo., Shelby, Brady and Bentley Wolff of Blair, Jack Jessen of Omaha and Stephanie (Will) Gardner of Branford, Conn.; great-great-grandchildren: Micah and Chloe Gardner of Branford, Conn.; brother Alan (Arlene) Reeh of Fremont; sister Barbara (Ervin) Wulf of Fremont; sisters-in-law Betty Reeh, Mary Mawery, Ruth Thompson and Gloria (Lee) Kuhr; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John J. Jessen, in 1993; son Marvin D. Jessen in 1993; grandson Brice Jesson in 2012; parents John and E. Grace Reeh; brothers Gordon Reeh and Roger Reeh; sister-in-law Dorothy Kuhl and brother-in-law Howard Thompson.

Memorials may be directed to Good Shepherd Lutheran Community or First Lutheran Church in Blair.

Published in Omaha World-Herald from Apr. 12 to Apr. 13, 2014

Jessen, Audrey E.

Age 89

Blair, NE. Survived by son, John J. Jessen Jr. (Mary Lou) of Rock Springs, WY; daughter-in-law Patricia Jessen of Blair; 7 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren; brother, Alan (Arlene) Reeh of Fremont, NE; and sister, Barbara (Ervin) Wulf of Fremont.

FUNERAL SERVICES will be held at 11am on Monday at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Private Family Graveside Services in the Blair Cemetery. VISITATION will be held Sunday at the Funeral Home beginning at 3pm, with family Receiving friends 6-8pm, and a PRAYER SERVICE at 7pm. Memorials may be directed to: First Lutheran Church; or Good Shepherd Lutheran Community in Blair. CAMPBELL-AMAN FUNERAL HOME Blair, NE 402-426-2191 www.campbellaman.com

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~