Jeannie was a bright and resourceful person with a charming personality. She didn't do well in organized activities, such as school, since she lacked the necessary self-discipline, but seemed to be able to do anything she wanted to do. I remember when she was assigned a school job at Sears -- she was in a coop ed program. She was assigned to the candy counter, not a big activity at Sears. She took some candy and went out from behind the counter and gave samples to customers passing by. That day she set a sales record at Sears.

In Clearwater they lived across the street from pasture land with horses. Jeannie became friends with a girl who owned a horse(s) and became very fond of riding.

Mike remembers:

I'm sure it really had nothing to do with it, but I was led to believe that it was my desire for a sister that led to Jeannie's adoption. We had another little girl for a short period named Sheila. At first we were going to name the next one Rose Marie. But Jeanne Marie prevailed.

As a baby, Jeannie had open-heart surgery which was very serious in those days. The rest of her life that "railroad track" scar stretched from her upper chest to her stomach.

Jeannie died riding a bicycle of a massive heart attack at 17. Autopsy revealed scar tissue around the heart, probably from her open heart surgery.