Jean Marie (Watson) Hoke

Jean Marie Hoke was born to Orlen and Sadie (Bissey) Watson on August 6, 1928 at Bradshaw, Nebraska.  The Beaver Crossing/Seward area was home to Jean in her early years.  She had three sisters and one brother.  Her father farmed for a few years and then was an over the road trucker the rest of his life.  Her mother was a homemaker, cook and waitress.  Jean attended elementary school at Beaver Crossing and Seward.  When Jean started high school, the family moved to Norfolk and she attended high school in Norfolk, obtaining her GED in Hutchinson, Kansas.

She was united in marriage to James Walter Stucker at El Dorado, Kansas.  The couple later divorced.  She married Vernon Hoke at Storm Lake, IA in 1959. 

Jean worked hard all of her life.  She had a huge garden and did a lot of canning to feed her family.  Over the years, Jean babysat, cleaned motels, cooked at the Kansas State Fair, worked in a hospital kitchen, was a machinist at Collins Bus Company making buses and ambulances etc, loaded salt blocks for Morton Salt, made sails for boats and welded intricate electronic parts.  Jean moved to Tecumseh in 1992 and worked as a teacher aide with the Foster Grandparents program for Tecumseh Public Schools and also was an assistant for Faith In Action.  Jean always found time to help others in any way she could.  She was raised in the United Methodist Church, but joined the Presbyterian Church later in life.  She hosted a bible study in her home in later years. 

Jean served on the Handi Bus Board for Tecumseh and was a member and past secretary for the VFW Post #8221 Auxiliary in Tecumseh. 

Jean loved to garden, cultivating both vegetables and flowers.  She canned fruits and vegetables until recent years. In her earlier days Jean loved to bowl.   Jean was an avid reader and tried to instill the love of reading in her children and grandchildren.  Jean was a prolific quilter, making at least one quilt for each child and grandchild.  She also did quilting for others.  Her crochet work was beautiful. She could crochet a full-sized afghan in as little as two weeks.  Each child, grandchild and great-grandchild received at least one afghan she made.  Jean was a beautiful seamstress, even making bridesmaids dresses for her grandson’s wedding.

Jean passed away June 26, 2018 at her home in Tecumseh at the age of 89 years.

She is survived by her sons, Ronald Lee Stucker and wife Marcine of Monteca, CA, Randall Eugene Stucker and wife Corine of Lincoln and James Rodney Stucker and wife Randi of Elm Creek, daughters, Janice Larson and husband Darlow of Omaha, Linda Sand of Kansas City, MO, Jackie Cocolin and husband Ronald of Plaistow, NH, Pamela Bennett of Auburn, Sheryl Phillips of Yukon, OK, Lisa McDaniels and husband William of Hutchinson, KS and Connie Boice of McPherson, KS, 31 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren, sister, Ruth Randle of Madison and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Kenneth Watson, sisters, Nelda Rothwell and June Goodrich, nephew, Johnny, and two granddaughters, Michelle and Elizabeth. 

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 7, 2018 at the Wherry Mortuary in Tecumseh, Nebraska with Chaplain Sharon Schuster officiating.

Visitation will be held at the Wherry Mortuary in Tecumseh, Nebraska, Friday, July 6, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family greeting friends from 6-7:30 p.m.

Memorials in lieu of flowers may go to St. Jude’s Research Hospital.

Inurnment will be at  2:00 p.m. Sunday, July 8, 2018 in the Prospect Hill Cemetery in Norfolk, Nebraska.

Online condolences may be left @ www.wherrymortuary.com.

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