March 12t 1918—
December 21, 2005
Jenny passed away peacefully Dec. 21, 2005, at Highline Medical Center in Burien Washington at the age of 87.
Jenny was born on March 12, 1918 to Wilhelm and Minna Mau in a sod house just outside of Sutton Nebraska. Jenny, the oldest of five children grew up on the family farm and attended a country school where she met her future husband, Paul Nuss. Jenny and Paul were married on Feb. 16, 1936. They were soon blessed with the birth of their first child, Charlene. Sadly, Charlene died at age 22 months.
With the Great Depression and dust bowl still affecting employment, Paul and Jenny moved to Berthoud, Colorado, looking for better times. It was here that daughter Marceline was born in 1937.
In 1940 Paul moved to Glendale, California, to secure a job before Jenny and Marcy followed. Two years later daughter Sandy was born.
In 1948 the family moved again to Springfield, Oregon. Together with friends and family they built their own home in Eugene, Oregon, and moved into it in 1951. Jenny worked at the 5th & Qst market in Springfield as an office worker/postmistress. It was here that she developed a love of stamps and began collecting commemorative plate blocks.
In 1956 their first son, Paul, was born.
Taking advantage of another job offer the family moved again to Seattle, where son Steve was born in 1959. Jenny joked that they had better not move again because they didn’t need any more children. Although they didn’t move again, they did enjoy seeing new places and traveled widely.
Jenny and Paul became members of the Normandy Park Congregational Church in 1962 where they soon developed many close, long-time friends. Jenny worked for the Highline School District for many years as an elementary school crossing guard and playground supervisor. As a loyal Democrat, active in local politics, she spent many long days working on the election board at every election possible. After she suffered a heart attack in 1997, she became a dedicated walker and walked four miles daily. Along the way, she befriended many neighborhood pets and their owners.
Jenny loved flowers, birds, butterflies, reading, family gatherings and the sound of children playing. She loved playing cards and couldn’t wait until her children were old enough to hold cards. Starting them with Go Fish, she soon taught them Crazy Eights Hearts, Canasta and Gin Rummy.
She was preceded in death by daughter Charlene, mother Minna, father Wilhelm (Bill) and brother Raymond.
She is survived by husband, Paul, Normandy Park; daughters Marceline Hammock, Waldport, Ore., and Sandra Staples, Selah; sons Paul Nuss, Federal Way, and Steven Nuss, Kent; sister Maxine Linder, brother Morris Mau, Alexandria Neb., and brother Dale Mau, Hastings, Neb.; grandchildren Jeffery, Katherine, and Christine Hammock, Alisse Ryan, Jacob and Sarah Nuss, Alixandra, Austin, Avery and Nicolas Nuss; and great-grandchildren Donald Hammock and Maya Ryan.
A memorial service was held Thursday, December 29, at the Normandy Park Congregational Church Interment was held at Washington Memorial Park. Arrangements entrusted to Bonney-Watson Parker Chapel in Burien.
Please send donations to: Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted, 9709 3rd Ave N.E., Suite 100, Seattle WA 98115.
