Bauer Funeral Home and Chapel
Like most of her generation, Jacquelyn Jean Inman lived through decades of change. Raised in an era of traditional expectations, Jackie had the inklings and desires for a more self-determined life.
Daughter of John and Golda Williams, Jackie grew up on a farm in Woodinville, WA, with no electricity until after WWII. She learned to play piano well enough to be the star at an elementary school recital, to sew her own clothes for special occasions, and to can fruits and vegetables, something, as an adult, Jackie vowed to never do again...and she never did.
When the family home in Woodinville burned down, Jackie moved with her parents to Seattle where she met her future husband, Lyle Inman. On her 19th birthday in 1951, the two married and moved to Tucson, AZ, for the duration of Lyle's Army Air Core service before returning to Washington to set up home on Lake Roesiger for the rest of their lives.
Jackie was a young wife and mother during a time when pregnancies were hidden from employers as long as possible in order to retain one's position. Among other jobs, Jackie worked as a telephone switchboard operator for Pac Bell, a window dresser at a local department store, and a partner/owner operator of the Lake Roesiger Store, a near Herculean task to undertake while raising four children.
Jackie enthusiastically supported the growth of the Lake Roesiger Fire Department, District 16, transitioning from a time when women were only allowed to be auxiliary support for the volunteer men to later, when she became a 'firefly', one of the first group of women actively responding to emergency calls. Jackie was a cornerstone to the firehall, earning the department's first EMT certification. Emergency medical response turned out to be Jackie's career calling. Interest in first aid response led to an educator's position as a first aid/CPR instructor for Everett Community College, for other volunteer fire departments, and for local schools and care organizations throughout Snohomish County.
Though not an extensive traveler, Jackie did have one memory of her teen years, an exotic trip to Hawaii in an era when a woman who set sail to the islands disembarked wearing a customary white dress and gloves to be greeted with a lei of gardenias. She remembered specifically her first encounter with a mango which was so messy, she had to lean over the kitchen sink to enjoy it.
At various points in her life, Jackie enjoyed singing with Sweet Adelines, an acapella barbershop group; bowling, creating stained glass art, and cooking...always, forever on the hunt for and clipping recipes from The Everett Herald and other publications. One beloved activity that lasted Jackie's whole life was camping with family and friends, particularly the times spent around bonfires burning hotdogs, toasting perfectly golden marshmallows and commandeering the fire poker. The once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii may have been a fond memory, but Jackie's true beach love was Tokeland--hands down, her favorite destination. She seized every opportunity she could to camp or dig clams or attend festivals in Washington's south beach region.
Jackie had a dry wit and a cleverness honed by years of daily newspaper reading, and by solving most of the week's crosswords with a pen. She had curiosity about others and a sympathetic ear for tales of woe and joy. She was both perplexed and tickled by expansions of technology and opportunity during her lifetime.
Jacquelyn will be missed, her memory celebrated by the Lake Roesiger Community and by sons, Larry and Marty (Cindy); daughters, Lenore and Susie (Ken); grandchildren, Joshua, Matthew, Joseph, Leslie, Henry, Sylvia and Michelle; and great-granddaughter, Mazie.
There will be a celebration of life for Jackie on August 21st, 11:00 A.M. at the Lake Roesiger Fire Station, pending COVID guidelines. If not we will host at an alternate lake location.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the Lake Roesiger Fire Department, District 16 at Lake Roesiger Fire Station, 1205 South Lake Roesiger Road, Snohomish, Washington.
LINKS
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