Jean Elizabeth Lewis of Chelsea, age 95, died Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 in Jackson, Michigan.
She was born Sept. 19, 1924 in Genesee Twp., Michigan, the daughter of Edward and Jane (Gillie) Sanborn.
Jean grew up in Rankin, a small town near Flint, Michigan and graduated from Grand Blanc High School in 1942. After graduation, she worked at the Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint, starting in the business department and working her way up to secretary of the president, Dr. Harley Z. Wooden. During this time, she volunteered to work with a group of teen deaf girls in the Stepping Stone Program for Self-Improvement sponsored by Mott Foundation of Flint.
Jean started her further education at Flint Junior College, working weekends at a restaurant to pay her way. She then transferred to Michigan State Normal College (Eastern) when the first program in Michigan for teaching the deaf and hard-of-hearing was instituted. She received her BS degree while going to school in the daytime and working at Kaiser-Frazer in the accounting office on the afternoon shift. During her training, she was assistant teacher for a first-grade class at MSD.
The family will receive friends at Cole Funeral Chapel on Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 2-4 p.m., followed by a funeral service at 4 p.m. A private burial will take place at Oak Grove Cemetery, Chelsea.
For the full obituary, please click here.
