Jeanne Klump Obituary

All animals loved Jeanne as much as she loved them. She even fed a bear Bit O'Honey candy through our car window in Yosemite in the sixties. She was born in Sendai to Hisakatsu Ito and Hana Okabe Ito and grew up in Morioka Japan. Her father was Chief Engineer for Japan National Railway Admin Bureau. He was a loving family man. He taught Jeanne to enjoy reading from an early age. She admired her father very much.

Jeanne graduated from Shirayuri, an all-girls Catholic high school when she was 16 years old. Around the end of WWIl, a B-29 dropped bombs as her family hid in a manmade bunker in the backyard covered only with dirt. One bomb was a direct hit on the bunker, but it was a dud. How lucky it was for the Ito family!

Her family moved to Mito City near Tokyo and Jeanne went to typing school against her father's wishes for her to go to college; but she wanted to start at an early age to explore society by being independent. Her first job at 16 was at the Labor Policy Bureau of Government. She loved that job. After a few years, she moved to Tokyo and worked for the Tread Daily Newspaper Co as a typist and was a fashion show model. The Tennessee Club in the Ginza district in Tokyo was where she first heard American western music. One day, reporters from "Look" Magazine came to Tokyo to publish a story about the new Japan era after WWII. They took a photo of a young girl (Jeanne) who was listening to western music and her picture was published in the magazine. She also loved fifties style music and she loved to dance.

Her future husband, Eddie, said it was love at first sight when he saw her walk into the Tennessee Club on September 7, 1955. He was 20 years old and she was 22. Jeanne melted when she saw this good-looking young man and she soon became a military wife and had 4 children in their first 5 years of marriage. It was a very busy first few years, but she found time to play pinochle with friends. When her husband went to remote Alaska and then to Vietnam, Jeanne remained in Tacoma with their 4 children. It was a hard time, but she loved the military life. They moved countless times while in the military but settled in Tacoma after Eddie retired from the Air Force in 1978.

She had a blessed life. She is survived by her husband Edward, her children Juliane, Mike, Gary, Jean, 6 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, her brother (Hisao) in Morioka and two sisters Ryoko & Fumiko in Tokyo, Japan.

Overall, Jeanne had a good journey! Jeanne gives sincere thanks to Dr. Hayami for taking care of her for many years. The doctors and staff at Madigan Hospital are excellent, thanks to all. Sayonara.