Jean Marie Cannefax was born on March 8, 1935 in Wamego, Kansas to William B. and Elizabeth A. McFerren. She passed away Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at Frederic Nursing and Rehab in Frederic, Wisconsin.
Her father was a teacher and athletic coach in Kansas where Jean and her five siblings were born. The family eventually moved to Silver Spring, Maryland where Jean attended high school and where she acquired a life-long love of singing and swimming. She won many awards while swimming for her high school swim team.
In 1956 she married Robert Cannefax in Arlington County, Virginia. While Bob was deployed with the military, their four children, John, Mary Beth, Patricia and Suzanne were each born at different forts that he was stationed at. Eventually they settled in North St. Paul, Minnesota.
While her family was most important to her, she also had a strong religious faith. She was very active with the Church of St. Peter Catholic Church in North St. Paul. Jean was on several church committees and was able to share her love of music and singing as a member of the church choir after singing in Sweet Adeline’s for many years.
Jean had a variety of occupations during her life and retired after working many years as an Executive Assistant for several departments of the State of Minnesota.
Jean enjoyed tending her large garden in the summertime. She was very proud of her Irish ancestry. She enjoyed having dogs or cats in her life, liked going to movies, and was affectionately nicknamed “Ma Squaw” by her family. She had a good sense of humor and would get a twinkle in her eye and a hearty laugh when someone was telling a joke or kidding her about something.
The last years of her life she lived with her daughter, Suzanne in Cushing, Wisconsin. While in Cushing she spent time at Suzanne’s bar and restaurant, “Suzy Q’s Snowshoe Tavern” where she got to know many of the establishments’ customers. She had many opportunities to enjoy music, humor, good food, trips, going to shoot trap with Suzanne, and went to movies and swimming often.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents, William B. McFerren and Elizabeth A. (Reilly) McFerren; sisters, Betty Fulton and Marilyn McFerren; and sister-in-law, Kathy McFerren.
She is survived by her children, John Cannefax, Mary Beth Cannefax, Patricia (Kyle) Rasmussen, Suzanne (Brian Amlee) Cannefax; her brothers, William McFerren, Jerry (Lavonna) McFerren and Bob (Calleen) McFerren; family friend, Patrick Hovde; and many loving nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Frederic, WI on Friday, November 30th – visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. There will be a celebration of her life at the Cushing Community Center on Friday, November 30th at 4:00 p.m.
You are invited to leave condolences, memories and photos at
www.rowefh.com . Arrangements are entrusted to Rowe Funeral Home in Luck, 715-472-2444 and the Northwest Wisconsin Cremation Center in Milltown,
www.wicremationcenter.com .
