Jean Stehr

Jean R. Stehr, age 81, of Litchfield died on Thursday, January 2, 2014, at the Emmanuel Home of Litchfield. A private family service will be held at a later date. Jean Rawson, the daughter of Floyd and Ada (Smith) Rawson, was born on December 11, 1932, in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. She was baptized in the Episcopal Church in Whitinsville. She grew up in East Douglas, MA where she attended the Congregational Church. She attended both grade school and high school in East Douglas graduating from East Douglas High School in 1950. She worked her way through Schauffler College in Cleveland, OH; a Congregational College for women only specializing in Christian Education and Social Work. Following her Schauffler graduation in 1954, she served as a Director of Christian Education in Presbyterian Churches in Euclid, Ohio; Cleveland and New York City. While in the Cleveland area, she was a Director of Christian Education in the Inter-denominational Inner City Protestant Parish, where she met her future husband, Truman Stehr Jean married Pastor Truman Stehr in the Laconia Avenue Presbyterian Church in the Bronx on December 1, 1962. Two children were born to the marriage; Jeffrey and Beth. As a Pastor's wife, she assisted in parishes in Woodhaven, Queens, Walworth, WI, Milwaukee, WI, Dudley, MA, Forest City, MN and Eden Valley, MN. During the couple's nearly ten year stay in Milwaukee, she trained as a Social Worker in the fields of Remotivation and Reality Orientation. She was active in both Remotivation and Reality Orientation Therapy while working in the Retirement Home of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, in Elm Grove, Wisconsin. She lived with her husband during their retirement in Emmaus Place in Litchfield. Jeanie loved hand-crafts of all kinds; knitting, quilting, cross-stitch, etc. She gardened, specializing in flowers. She took special pleasure in her family, especially her children and grandchildren. She left quiet echoes of love everywhere she went. She is survived by her husband, Truman Stehr of Litchfield; her son, Jeffrey (and Cathy) Stehr of Milwaukee and their children Kate and Tommy, daughter Beth (and Neal) Topliff of Redwing and their children Noah and William. She is also survived by her ex-sister-in-law, Jo Ann Mazetta, neices and nephews, Kathleen Rawson, David (and Karen) Rawson, Shirley Rawson, Tim (and Tanya) Rawson and Pat Rawson, special friends, Nancy De Vore, Shirley Johnson and Irene Murray.