Jeanne's Biography
October 21, 2021
The lives of Clark Chandler Smith and Mary Drucilla Graham were forever changed on March 19, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois, with the birth of their first child, daughter Jeanne Marie Smith. At the age of 7, Jeanne’s dad was transferred to St Louis, Missouri with the Standard Oil Company, and Jeanne spent most of her youth there, growing up with her younger sister Drucilla Ann Smith.
She attended elementary school at Our Lady of Lourdes and graduated high school at St Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis. She began college at Maryville, but when her dad was transferred again, this time to Wichita, Kansas, she moved with the family and enrolled at what was then, Wichita University, where she graduated, with a bachelor’s degree in Education.
With many boys just back from WWII, it was a fun time to be in college. As the story goes, a young soldier named MJ Nyberg, noticed Jeanne walking with a group of girls. He saw her beautiful legs before he saw her, specifically noticing her bobby socks which she wore up, while all the other girls wore theirs turned down. After some fits and starts, of getting Jeanne to go out with him, she finally agreed and the rest as they say, is history. Jeanne and MJ were married on December 29, 1951, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Wichita, Kansas.
After some time teaching elementary school, her focus became about her love of motherhood, raising four children of her own, Clark, Teresa, Karen and Ann. During that time, she was also dedicated to serving at the Institute of Logopedics, known today as Heartspring, a non-profit organization serving children with special needs and developmental disabilities. Her time there was very inspirational, even leading to chance encounter with then, Senator John F. Kennedy, who was campaigning in Wichita, in 1959. At the Institute of Logopedics, she learned the value of physical fitness for children in relation to coordination, brain stimulation and learning. Over time, this led to her being one of the founding mothers of the first ever “PE” program at the School of the Magdalen in the 1970’s, where her daughters were attending elementary school. She was also very dedicated to volunteering at Birthright, a non-profit charitable organization providing love and support to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
Following MJ’s sudden death in 1982, Jeanne moved to Colorado Springs, CO to be closer to her first two grandchildren, Sean and Megan, children of son Clark and his wife Susan Nyberg. She returned to her love of education thru substitute teaching and working at the educational toy store, The Clever Camel, in Colorado Springs. But her greatest joy, was being a young grandmother to Sean and Megan, taking them places and caring for them after school.
Additional grandchildren were born, and Jeanne loved the role of Grandmother. She moved to Truckee, California in 1995 to help with the birth of twin grandsons, Marcus and Kaleb, born to her daughter Karen and her husband, Michael Rodarte. She remained in Truckee for several years, staying active with both her twin grandsons and their little brother Luke, born in 1998. She was in California for the births of more grandchildren, Maeve in 2000, Jack in 2004 and Liam in 2010, born to her daughter Ann and her husband, Christopher Mugglebee, of Los Angeles.
In her later years, Jeanne became reacquainted with childhood friend, Bob Roberts of Woodland Park, CO. Connected by their love for travel and for the Catholic Church, they were married until Bob’s passing in 2013. She loved her connection with the Roberts children and grandchildren very much.
Her final years were spent in Winter Park, Florida under the care of her daughter, Teresa and her husband, Stewart Grashoff, of Orlando. She enjoyed watching old movies, outings with Teresa, going to the Masters (twice) with Stewart and Teresa, chatting on the phone with family and friends and any family gathering that brought all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren together. Nothing made her happier than having everyone together.
Her final days in hospice were at the home of her daughter Teresa and Stewart in Orlando, Florida. She died on Tuesday October 12, 2021, at the age of 92 surrounded by family.
Jeanne is preceded in death by her husband Milton Joseph “MJ” Nyberg, parents, Clark Chandler and Mary Ann Graham Smith, sister Drucilla Ann “Dru” Carlson and younger brother, Robert Clark Smith.
She is survived by son Clark (Susan) Nyberg of Lexington, Kentucky, daughter Teresa (Stewart) Grashoff of Orlando, Florida, daughter Karen (Michael) Rodarte of Truckee, California, daughter Ann (Christopher) Mugglebee of Los Angeles, California. Grandchildren, Sean (Ivy) Nyberg of Williston, Florida, Megan (Adam) Bell of Murray, Kentucky. Marcus Rodarte, Kaleb Rodarte, Luke Rodarte, of Truckee, California. Maeve Mugglebee, Jack Mugglebee, Liam Mugglebee, of Los Angeles, California. Great grandchildren, Michael Nyberg, of Williston, Florida, Nicholas Bell, Evan Bell, Eli Bell, Joseph Bell, Elizabeth Bell and newest baby Andrew Bell, all of Mayfield, Kentucky. As well as many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews in the Chicago and Libertyville, Illinois area.
Jeanne's Rosary, funeral Mass and burial in Wichita, Kansas, will be announced at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jeanne’s memory, to Heartspring or Birthright, in Wichita, Kansas.
She attended elementary school at Our Lady of Lourdes and graduated high school at St Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis. She began college at Maryville, but when her dad was transferred again, this time to Wichita, Kansas, she moved with the family and enrolled at what was then, Wichita University, where she graduated, with a bachelor’s degree in Education.
With many boys just back from WWII, it was a fun time to be in college. As the story goes, a young soldier named MJ Nyberg, noticed Jeanne walking with a group of girls. He saw her beautiful legs before he saw her, specifically noticing her bobby socks which she wore up, while all the other girls wore theirs turned down. After some fits and starts, of getting Jeanne to go out with him, she finally agreed and the rest as they say, is history. Jeanne and MJ were married on December 29, 1951, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Wichita, Kansas.
After some time teaching elementary school, her focus became about her love of motherhood, raising four children of her own, Clark, Teresa, Karen and Ann. During that time, she was also dedicated to serving at the Institute of Logopedics, known today as Heartspring, a non-profit organization serving children with special needs and developmental disabilities. Her time there was very inspirational, even leading to chance encounter with then, Senator John F. Kennedy, who was campaigning in Wichita, in 1959. At the Institute of Logopedics, she learned the value of physical fitness for children in relation to coordination, brain stimulation and learning. Over time, this led to her being one of the founding mothers of the first ever “PE” program at the School of the Magdalen in the 1970’s, where her daughters were attending elementary school. She was also very dedicated to volunteering at Birthright, a non-profit charitable organization providing love and support to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
Following MJ’s sudden death in 1982, Jeanne moved to Colorado Springs, CO to be closer to her first two grandchildren, Sean and Megan, children of son Clark and his wife Susan Nyberg. She returned to her love of education thru substitute teaching and working at the educational toy store, The Clever Camel, in Colorado Springs. But her greatest joy, was being a young grandmother to Sean and Megan, taking them places and caring for them after school.
Additional grandchildren were born, and Jeanne loved the role of Grandmother. She moved to Truckee, California in 1995 to help with the birth of twin grandsons, Marcus and Kaleb, born to her daughter Karen and her husband, Michael Rodarte. She remained in Truckee for several years, staying active with both her twin grandsons and their little brother Luke, born in 1998. She was in California for the births of more grandchildren, Maeve in 2000, Jack in 2004 and Liam in 2010, born to her daughter Ann and her husband, Christopher Mugglebee, of Los Angeles.
In her later years, Jeanne became reacquainted with childhood friend, Bob Roberts of Woodland Park, CO. Connected by their love for travel and for the Catholic Church, they were married until Bob’s passing in 2013. She loved her connection with the Roberts children and grandchildren very much.
Her final years were spent in Winter Park, Florida under the care of her daughter, Teresa and her husband, Stewart Grashoff, of Orlando. She enjoyed watching old movies, outings with Teresa, going to the Masters (twice) with Stewart and Teresa, chatting on the phone with family and friends and any family gathering that brought all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren together. Nothing made her happier than having everyone together.
Her final days in hospice were at the home of her daughter Teresa and Stewart in Orlando, Florida. She died on Tuesday October 12, 2021, at the age of 92 surrounded by family.
Jeanne is preceded in death by her husband Milton Joseph “MJ” Nyberg, parents, Clark Chandler and Mary Ann Graham Smith, sister Drucilla Ann “Dru” Carlson and younger brother, Robert Clark Smith.
She is survived by son Clark (Susan) Nyberg of Lexington, Kentucky, daughter Teresa (Stewart) Grashoff of Orlando, Florida, daughter Karen (Michael) Rodarte of Truckee, California, daughter Ann (Christopher) Mugglebee of Los Angeles, California. Grandchildren, Sean (Ivy) Nyberg of Williston, Florida, Megan (Adam) Bell of Murray, Kentucky. Marcus Rodarte, Kaleb Rodarte, Luke Rodarte, of Truckee, California. Maeve Mugglebee, Jack Mugglebee, Liam Mugglebee, of Los Angeles, California. Great grandchildren, Michael Nyberg, of Williston, Florida, Nicholas Bell, Evan Bell, Eli Bell, Joseph Bell, Elizabeth Bell and newest baby Andrew Bell, all of Mayfield, Kentucky. As well as many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews in the Chicago and Libertyville, Illinois area.
Jeanne's Rosary, funeral Mass and burial in Wichita, Kansas, will be announced at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jeanne’s memory, to Heartspring or Birthright, in Wichita, Kansas.