ADAMS (nee McCumsey)
Jean
July 9, 1918 - June 11, 2018
It is with sadness we announce the peaceful passing of our mother Jean, on June 11, 2018 in her 100th year. She is predeceased by her husband Dave, brothers Donald, Tom, Keith McCumsey and sister Verna Willis. She is survived by her 4 children, Bill, Gail Thiessen, Audrey Brandsgard and Joyce. Jean has 4 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Jean was born in Fraserton, Alberta in 1918, the eldest of five children born to Mary Hazel
Petrie and Guy Harrison McCumsey. Her mother was a school teacher and her father, a water well driller and farmer. When Jean was 2, (1920) her father purchased property south of Hanna where they started farming. She completed her grade 8 at a small school in Corinth, AB. Grandma played piano, Grandad played violin and tried to teach mom. The family would travel to play at dances around the community. Farming there, was not lucrative and the Government recognized farming in this area was not going well. They offered each family 2 train box cars and free transportation to relocate any where in Alberta. At 13 she was on her way to Mirror Landing, now known as Smith. In her late teens Jean moved to Munson to help care for an ill Aunt. Here she met Dave and they were married in Munson in March 1939. The coal mines in the Drumheller valley and Drumheller hospital kept them employed until the early 1940s, when an opportunity came to rent farm land in the Munson district. Jean would caution, “farming is not as romantic as people think”. A nice location for the farm, as kids we remember overlooking the Red Deer River Valley, just east of the Bleriot Ferry. Dave and Jean drove school bus, mom being one of the first women in the area to obtain a chauffeur’s license. She also helped Dave haul grain. Besides grain, they raised animals, and shipped eggs and cream to Calgary by train. She was involved with the Cub/Scouts for many years. No stranger to curling, she learned to curl on snow drifts and natural ice at the local curling club. In the late 60s, with dad’s health failing, they bought and built in Munson. Dad passed away in October 1970. Mom loved to dance and joined the square dance club, attending jamborees and special events including the Calgary Stampede. She was always active, snowmobiling, tobogganing, hot air ballooning. She ventured to Hawaii, Australia, Alaska and across Canada several times in her travels. An active member of the United Church and UCW, Jean also served a term as Councillor and sat on the Parks and Recreation Committee. After Grandma McCumsey passed away, Jean moved from Drumheller and made the Yukon her new home. Mom continued to play cards (cribbage her favorite) and was still passionate about curling, her flowers and berry picking. In 2004 Whitehorse hosted the Canada Seniors Winter Games and Mom and her team won a Bronze medal in the floor curling event. Because she learned to sew at a young age, she was a seamstress for many. Jean also learned the arts of crocheting, tatting, knitting and most every other craft there was. We will miss this wonderful woman. On Saturday, September 15th at 1:00 p.m. there will be a private interment and service for family at Munson Cemetery. We would be pleased if Jean’s friends and family would attend a reception at the Munson Community Hall from 2:00 – 4:00 for memories and refreshments. In lieu of flowers and cards, please make donations to the Munson Community Hall Building Fund or STARS ambulance.
