Jean Doty

Jean Anne Blum Turner Doty was born on Mothers' Day, May 13, 1923 in Monroe, MI. She was the fourth child of seven born to George Arms?trong Blum and Helen Emma Reisig Blum. Jean Anne attended Monroe's Christiancy Elementary School and was a clarinet player in the Monroe High School Marching Band, graduating in 1942. During her high school years she worked part-time at the S.S. Kresge Store in downtown Monroe. Jean Anne loved to dance, especially to the music of the era's Big Bands. She never lost her enthusiasm for music, still dancing until unable to stand. Three weeks before her death Jean was able to hum or sing along to most songs, although unable otherwise verbally communicate. October 1, 1943, in her parents' home on E. Vine Street, Monroe, Jean Anne married her high school sweetheart AVMM1C Ralph Clayton Turner. The Reverend Frederick Behner officiated. Attendants Carl and Ida Mae Parker, remained lifelong friends. The couple then moved to Hollister, CA where Jean's husband was stationed and then deployed with the US Navy. A daughter, Holly Lynn Turner, was born September 25, 1944, but exactly only one month later to the day Ralph was killed during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Philippines. Details of his death are written in Final Assault, authored by Chester W. Marshall. Turner was aboard the light aircraft carrier Santee when the ship took its first kamikaze attack of the war. He uttered his last words to his wife while he lay dying in the arms of their friend Tom Dumser. Two of Jean's sisters, Ruth Emma and Mary Lou, went out to California to bring back to Monroe Jean Anne and her infant daughter, all in Jean Anne's 1940 Ford Coupe and using the back window shelf as the baby’s bed. It was not long after that when Jean's older sister Ruth Blum Stoner lost her own husband. Thus, the two sisters combined their little families, living together in Ruth's South Monroe Townsite home. Ruth worked as a nurse, while Jean Anne was at home caring for daughter Holly and her young nephews, Robert and Norman Stoner. After the war's end, life began anew for Jean Anne when she was introduced by her friends the Parkers to a returning soldier, Robert Douglas Doty, of Raisinville Township. Robert, or "Rob", as he would be called by Jean was both a 1937 Monroe High School graduate and a 1940 graduate of Michigan State College's Two-Year Agricultural Course. With World War II's expansion, Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942, serving as a member of a B29 flight crew she was net to Japan to make direct hits on the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe, a city where their daughter and husband would eventually live and work for 15 years. Upon Robert's safe return from war, the couple married November 8, 1946 in the chapel of Monroe's present St. Paul's United Methodist Church, attending there for all of their more than 65 years of married life. Their attendants were Donald D. Doty and Nancy Jacqueline Blum, respective brother and sister of the bride and groom. The Reverend Harry Howard officiated. From this union were born two sons Guy Jeffrey Doty and Drew Douglas Doty. Eventually the couple purchased the Gus Harpst Farm on Blazer Road, near Maybee. Jean was a full lifetime partner in the workings of the dairy farm, and a mother exemplar in the raising of their three children. Jean Anne not only drove their Massey Harris tractor during hay baling season, but did so much more as helpmate and farm wife. Jean was a wonderful gardener, cook, preserver of food, furniture and cabinet refinisher, photographer, horticulturist, artist and seamstress. In fact, she became known around the area for her expert sewing and teaching skills. As a 4-H Club Leader Jean taught many local young women to sew. She and her husband, also a 4- H Club Leader, were charter members of the Monroe County Fair Association, and members of the Monroe County Farm Bureau. Jean also served as a Maybee area Cub Scout leader. Eventually, all three children attended the Maybee Public School where Jean Anne was an active PTA parent. At forty-seven, with her children raised, Jean Anne began coursework at the newly opened Monroe Community College, then transferred to Eastern Michigan University graduating from there with a bachelor's degree, as well as a K-12 art education and K-8 teaching certification. At age 52 she began13 years of teaching second and third grade classes for the Ida Public School System, retiring in 1987. Ten years after Jean's retirement the couple moved from their Lotus Dale Farm home into Monroe. From then on the couple spent winters in Florida. In 1991 they settled into a condominium in Bradenton, FL where they wintered each year forming many strong friendships that have lasted these 21 years. Jean Anne and Robert were able to travel to Nassau, Bahamas, Venezuela, Hawaii, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Kobe, Japan, there visiting their daughter and son-in-law after Kobe's Great Hanshin Earthquake. Also in the years before Jean Anne became incapacitated by dimentia, she especially enjoyed the fellowship of the Methodist Women's Prayer Guild. Jean and Robert enjoyed several years of reunions with Robert's World War II 73rd Wing Bomb crew members. After Jean Anne's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, traveling became too difficult. For the many years forward Jean's sole caregiver was her husband Robert. The recent past five years he continued her care in their home with only the support of family. April 1, 2011 Jean became a resident of Tecumseh Place II. There, she was comfortable and tended to by the staff she grew to love, as they grew to love her. For the past eighteen months, Jean's devoted husband Robert drove the 62 miles round-trip between Monroe and Tecumseh. Until the last few weeks of her life Jean Anne's warm, beautiful smile lit up everyone who knew her, including her many resident friends. Jean Anne truly left this world a much better place because of her lifetime contributions. Jean Anne is survived by her husband Robert Douglas Doty, a daughter, Holly Lynn Turner Doty Becker (Richard) of Tecumseh, two sons, Guy Jeffrey Doty (Martha) of Farmington Hills and Drew Douglas Doty (Margaret) of Livonia. There are also eight grandchildren, David (Vera) Becker of Kansas City, MO, Jessica Becker Beamer (Dirk) of Farmington, Claudia Becker (E. Kapena Pflum) of Seattle, WA, Susan Doty of Chicago, IL, Ellen Doty Scherer (Jason) of Chapel Hill, N. Carolina, Stephen Doty of Morehead, KY, Sarah Doty Mascola (Tre) of Milwaukee, WI, and Claire Doty of Chicago, IL. There are also six great-grandchildren: Langston Beamer, Lawrence Beamer, Anika Jane Beamer, Albert Becker, Kea Pflum and Niko Pflum. Surviving Jean are four siblings, Richard George Blum (Alice) of Maybee, Mary Lou Tatlock of W. Lafayette, IN, Nancy Heiss (Richard) of Farmington Hills and Loren Armstrong Blum (Sandra) of Warren, as well as one brother in-law, George "Jack" Doty, of Monroe. Preceding her in death were parents George and Helen Blum, and two siblings, Ruth Emma Stoner Bedell and Allen Lynn Blum. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 1-8 PM in the Bacarella Funeral Home, 1201 S. Telegraph Rd., in Monroe where funeral services celebrating Jean’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, September 13, 2012. The Rev. Brad Lewis will officiate. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church or Tecumseh Place II for the benefit of the caring staff.

Jean Doty

September 8, 2012