Obituary of Jeannette May Jarvinen

Jeannette ‘Jenny’ (Pardridge) Jarvinen, 94, of Bryson City, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 3, 2023, with her faithful dog Maggie at her side. Jeannette was born in Johnswood on Drummond Island, Michigan, on January 15, 1929, the daughter of Walter and Dorothy (Mark) Pardridge. She attended school on Drummond Island, graduated from high school in Pickford, Michigan, and briefly attended the University of Michigan on a scholarship. She is survived by her four children, Phyllis Jarvinen (Mark) Sandell of Webster, North Carolina, Joellen Beaudoin of Peoria, Arizona, Donald Jarvinen of Rapid City, South Dakota, and Gayle (Jim) Citta of Windsor, California; by two granddaughters, Stephanie (Jackson) Lanford of Peoria, Arizona and Jessica (Lee) Bryant of Beavercreek, Ohio and by five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara MacLaren of Traverse City, Michigan. While married to her military husband, Vernon Jarvinen, she and the children lived in five states and in Germany and Spain. She also lived in Arizona, California and North Carolina to be near her family. Jeannette was an excellent seamstress, sewing clothing for herself, her children and grandchildren and also using her talents to decorate her homes in the many places she lived though reading was probably her favorite pastime. Although she especially loved mystery books, she was a voracious reader of many subjects and always enjoyed learning. Her love of learning compelled her to complete her Associate of Arts degree in Sociology at Glendale Community College while working full time as a Bookkeeper. Another of Jeannette’s great loves was her love of dogs. She was a regular supporter of many animal rescue organizations and always had a small dog in her life. After retiring from a career in Bookkeeping, she drove around the country with her dog, sightseeing and visiting her children. Jeannette was a strong, independent woman with many talents and a great sense of humor. One of her great pleasures was finding the perfect funny card for birthdays, holidays and special occasions for family. If you would like to commemorate Jeannette’s life, please make a donation in her name to your favorite animal or human charity or to your local public library. For online condolences, please visit Crisp Funeral Home in Bryson City, North Carolina (https://crispfuneralhome.org). Jeannette will be missed by all who knew her. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. Cremation has already taken place.