Obituary

Glenda Jean Martin, known to most as Jeanne, departed for heaven wearing her signature purple on August 6^th, 2022, at 85 years young.  She passed peacefully in her home with Tina and Doug by her side after a brave battle with cancer.  She would want her spirit to live on via the memories of her contagious laugh, warm hugs, and her always upbeat look on life.

Jeanne was born on October 19^th, 1936, in Coffeyville, Kansas.  She was the first child of Ila and Oscar Thomas.  At the age of 9, Albert Sauer married her mother and instantly became her beloved daddy.  She graduated in 1954 from Coffeyville’s Field Kindley High School where she enjoyed being a cheerleader and was crowned basketball homecoming queen.  This is where the “kansas purple lady” title began to take shape.  She earned an Associate of Arts degree in 1956 from Coffeyville Community College.

In February of 1958, Jeanne married Leo Albert Martin of Caney, Kansas.  They had two daughters both born in Coffeyville.  In 1964, the family moved to Dodge City, Kansas.  Jeanne raised her girls and made her home in Dodge City for 52 years before courageously choosing to move to California in 2016 to be near her daughter Tina and son-in-law Doug.  She purchased a home in Laguna Woods, California where she lived until her passing.  What an incredible gift it was to her Tina to have her nearby the last 6 years.  The year around great weather generated a love of flower gardening.  Guess what color most of them were.  Those who entered her home in California said that they could tell right away what her passions were.  It was filled with reminders of Disneyland, her Wizard of Oz collection, photos of current and prior grandpets, lots of purple everywhere and decorations for whatever holiday was coming up on the calendar.  It would be a challenge to find anyone more festive than Jeanne.

Jeanne worked in education much of her life including positions with the Coffeyville Community College, Dodge City Vocational School, and Dodge City Community College.  She retired in 1999 and filled her retirement years volunteering for many organizations in Dodge City, helping anyone with anything, adventuring anywhere and everywhere, and pet-sitting with her many beloved grandpets who she spoiled with lots of snuggles and homemade treats.

Those left to miss her everyday are her daughters Tina (Doug) Glover of Mission Viejo, CA and Valerie (Don) Freeman of Columbia, TN, her sister, Renna Ivy of Grove, OK, sister-in-law Janet Thomas of Coffeyville, sister-in-law Donnie (John) Worthen of Boulder, CO, her niece Sheri (David) Yeats and nephews Larry (Robin), David (Lana), and Keith (Joani) Thompson, She was preceded in death by her father, Oscar, her mother and daddy, Ila and Albert Sauer, and two brothers, Jimmy and Jerry Thomas.

Jeanne wishes to be inurned with her mother and daddy in Coffeyville, Kansas.  A Celebration of Life for Jeanne will be held sometime this fall in Dodge City.

It seems appropriate here to share Mom’s final message….“I want you all to know how much you have meant to me and how grateful I am for you always having my back. I thank you for your friendship, the shared laughter and great joy you brought to my life. You all helped me to be my best person and taught me what was most important in life. You have inspired me to trust in God and follow his plan for me. I love you all and I am at peace.”

The family suggests memorials be made to two of Jeanne’s favorite organizations:  the Johnson Cancer Research Center Kansas State at https://cancer.k-state.edu/support/ or Guide Dogs For the Blind at https://www.guidedogs.com/support-gdb/donate.  Please don something purple and raise a glass of your favorite beverage and join us in a toast to this incredible human who loved large and gave her whole heart and soul to all the special people in her life. You all meant the world to her.