Jean Ruth Alvord was born in South Weymouth, Massachusetts on September 4, 1923. Her father was a professor at Northeastern University and a civil engineer. She grew up and atttended high school in Melrose, Massachusetts with older sister Peggy and older brothers John & Graham. Her family spent most holidays and vacations visiting grandparents & other relatives in Maine.
She began a lifelong love of music playing clarinet in the Melrose High School orchestra and the Melrose City orchestra. When her mother Marni was widowed at age 45, she moved to Boston. She attended Simmons College where she earned a B.S. degree in business (1944). She met her future husband, Charles William “Bill” Cramer, a US Navy sailor while attending college. He was studying at M.I.T. and decided to attend her church. She & her mother hosted him for lunch in their home. They were engaged 3 weeks later and were married in Gainesville, Georgia on July 3, 1943. Four weeks after that, Bill was deployed overseas for the next 19 months. Jean returned home to Boston to finish her college and Bill served until the war ended. They were married nearly 64 years.
After WWII, Bill and Jean moved to Gardner, Kansas where they lived for 15 years. Jean enjoyed raising her five children in a small town where they were free to explore. In 1960, the family moved to Overland Park for a larger school district & increased educational opportunities for her children. They became active members of Southminster Presbyterian Church. Jean was a Deacon, served on several committees, taught Sunday School and volunteered at Cross-Lines. She was active in AAUW & enjoyed lectures at the art gallery. She also did volunteer office work for many agencies including working for Kay Barnes who later became mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. For relaxation, Jean loved listening to famous operas which she balanced with an equal love of Blue Grass & Country music.
Jean and Bill wished to broaden their children's view of the world. To do this they invited some 42 different foreign college students to stay in their home during holidays or summer break. Bill & Jean often reached out to bless and serve those in need in their community through spiritual and financial support. Jean had many special gifts and talents. She was an avid reader, excellent quilter and enthusiastic traveler along the “Blue Roads” of America. This led to her unusual hobby of photographing and cataloging courthouses all over the country with a total of 686. To her they represented beauty and a reminder of the history of the area around them. Jean especially loved nature and insisted that all her children appreciate the beauty of God's creation. In her later life she discovered a love of writing. She collected and “published” her work in “Grandma Jean's Journal” in 2014. It remains an invaluable source of family stories and insight into a woman whose strong faith, gentle spirit and love of family touched all who knew her.
Memorial Service
Start Date: November 18, 2021, 11:00 am
End Date: November 18, 2021, 12:00 am
Southminster Presbyterian Church
6306 Roe Ave.
Prairie Village, KS 66208
Phone: 913-432-3505
She began a lifelong love of music playing clarinet in the Melrose High School orchestra and the Melrose City orchestra. When her mother Marni was widowed at age 45, she moved to Boston. She attended Simmons College where she earned a B.S. degree in business (1944). She met her future husband, Charles William “Bill” Cramer, a US Navy sailor while attending college. He was studying at M.I.T. and decided to attend her church. She & her mother hosted him for lunch in their home. They were engaged 3 weeks later and were married in Gainesville, Georgia on July 3, 1943. Four weeks after that, Bill was deployed overseas for the next 19 months. Jean returned home to Boston to finish her college and Bill served until the war ended. They were married nearly 64 years.
After WWII, Bill and Jean moved to Gardner, Kansas where they lived for 15 years. Jean enjoyed raising her five children in a small town where they were free to explore. In 1960, the family moved to Overland Park for a larger school district & increased educational opportunities for her children. They became active members of Southminster Presbyterian Church. Jean was a Deacon, served on several committees, taught Sunday School and volunteered at Cross-Lines. She was active in AAUW & enjoyed lectures at the art gallery. She also did volunteer office work for many agencies including working for Kay Barnes who later became mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. For relaxation, Jean loved listening to famous operas which she balanced with an equal love of Blue Grass & Country music.
Jean and Bill wished to broaden their children's view of the world. To do this they invited some 42 different foreign college students to stay in their home during holidays or summer break. Bill & Jean often reached out to bless and serve those in need in their community through spiritual and financial support. Jean had many special gifts and talents. She was an avid reader, excellent quilter and enthusiastic traveler along the “Blue Roads” of America. This led to her unusual hobby of photographing and cataloging courthouses all over the country with a total of 686. To her they represented beauty and a reminder of the history of the area around them. Jean especially loved nature and insisted that all her children appreciate the beauty of God's creation. In her later life she discovered a love of writing. She collected and “published” her work in “Grandma Jean's Journal” in 2014. It remains an invaluable source of family stories and insight into a woman whose strong faith, gentle spirit and love of family touched all who knew her.
Events
Memorial Service
Start Date: November 18, 2021, 11:00 am
End Date: November 18, 2021, 12:00 am
Southminster Presbyterian Church
6306 Roe Ave.
Prairie Village, KS 66208
Phone: 913-432-3505
Guestbook
Visits: 6
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