Velma Jean Ward Prohaska

Jean Ward was my mother. She was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma to Elvin Baker Ward and Velma Jean Goble Ward. Her family were in the Oklahoma Land Run at the Cherokee Strip, later moving to Stillwater which they preferred because of proximity to higher education. The Ward Family were automobile dealers for GM, Buick, Cadillac, Mercury, Oldsmobile, all brands of cars except Ford. After attending Stillwater public schools, Jean graduated Oklahoma State University where she was an officer of Kappa Delta sorority. Her B.S. degree was in Nutritional Science/Home Economics.She had a life-long interest in food and nutrition. Jean loved books. She was an enthusiastic reader of all manner of written material and worked as a children's librarian after studying for her Master's degree at OSU, a teacher of baking, a bookkeeper and paralegal for her sons' law firm, and catered for large political events using her wonderful cooking abilities.It was not unusual for Jean to make her own butter, fruit preserves, bread, french fries,etc and almost everything rather than purchase foods "ready-made" from a store. Additionally. she was an excellent seamstress who sewed and knitted many of her own and her daughter's clothing. She worked as a Member of the Board of Education in Stillwater and President of PTA, as a girl scout leader and cub scout den mother. Jean spent her childhood Summers in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So, after her first two children moved away to attend college, she moved with her husband Ray and remaining three sons to be closer to their beloved Rel Rio Ranch in Creede, Colorado. The family lived just outside of Denver.Eventually the family moved to Sun Valley, Idaho and then back to Ft Dodge, Iowa where Ray's family was and then, again back to Idaho, this time to Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene. When Ray predeceased his wife, she moved to Boise, Idaho where she enjoyed being near to her three sons and their families.Jean loved Manhattan and visited often after her first visit for The World's Fair in the 1960's. She had worked briefly as a fashion buyer in Tulsa before marriage and loved buying clothing on her many visits. Jean's brother, Gayle Ward, her sister Leah Ward, her children: Ronald, Nancy, Daniel, Thomas, and Benjamin and their families survive their mother. This, in itself, was a great blessing in her life.Jean will be remembered as a fun-loving natural blonde, who was a happy and social mother and grandmother who loved nothing more than to devote her life each and every day to the happiness of her children and grandchildren.