Jean Applegate Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Jean Applegate, age 82 of Milwaukie, passed away Monday evening, November 17 at Providence Portland Hospital of natural causes. Mrs. Applegate was born Emma Jean Montgomery, the first of five children of Leo and Ruth Montgomery, near Mancelona, Michigan on May 24, 1926. In many ways, she was the living example of the "great generation" and the change and challenges that generation faced. She was the first woman in her family to attend college when she started at Michigan State in 1943. Like many young women of her time, she was a "Rosy the Riveter" and spent the summer of 1944 helping build tank tracks. In 1945 she joined the thousands of young people who had moved to Washington D.C. to help with the work of running the federal government during wartime. She worked at the Food and Drug administration. She was in Washington in August of that year when the war ended and then moved to Philadelphia to finish her training as a medical technician. In 1950, she moved west to Seattle where a friend had gotten a job at a local hospital. There she met Howard Applegate. They were married July 7, 1951. Shortly after, they moved back to Applegate's home state of Oregon where they settled and lived for the rest of their years. Howard, a noted newsman with the United Press International, died of colon cancer in 1988. After his death, Jean took up many hobbies including water color painting and travel. Her entire adult life she was involved in the Portland Garden Club and the Beta Sigma Phi sorority. She is survived by her children Roger, Lora and Bob and five grandchildren; Lindsay, Meghan, Evan, Taylor and Kendall. Memorial Services will be held Saturday, November 22nd @ 3 P.M inside Peake Funeral Chapel in Milwaukie, Oregon. A private Burial will take place at Yoncalla Pioneer Cemetery. Rememberances can be directed to the American Cancer Society.

Tributes

Jean Applegate

May 24, 1926 - November 17, 2008