Jeanne Valerie Strohm was born on June 14, 1919, in Alameda, California to Claire Ansel and John Edward Cooney. The eldest of three children, Jeanne completed her early education in the Alameda school system, and she later attended UC Berkeley and Wilke’s College of Business while in Glee Club in high school, Jeanne met her “one and only”, Charles “Charlie” Strohm. They enjoyed a sixty-three year marriage and had three sons – Charles (Chip, d. 1997, Peter, and Richard.
In 1944, the family was advised to move to higher and drier climate due to Chip’s asthma. Charlie had business associates in Grass Valley and they suggested to him that they locate there. The young family was warmly welcomed to the predominantly Cornish community that same year. Son Richard was born at the Jones Hospital on Church St. in 1946.
Jeanne and Charlie purchased the old Michell house (built in 1863) on S. Auburn St., in which they lived for over 50 years. They delighted in entertaining friends and family and had an active social life.
Jeanne loved working in her garden; enjoyed golf as an early member of the Nevada County Country Club; was an avid reader and member of the Causerie Book Club; was a 50-year member of the Who Delta Bridge Club; was a member of the Grass Valley Ladies Relief Society; was a Pink Lady at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital; and was an active member of the congregation at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, belonging to the Altar Guild and singing in the church choir. Jeanne was the last surviving member of the infamous ladies group called “The Dirty Dozen”.
Jeanne and Charlie like to travel and were privileged to live for a year in Algeria where Charlie worked as a purchasing agent for a company engaged in making handling tanks for liquid natural gas.
A year after Charlie’s death in 2003, Jeanne moved to Eskaton, Grass Valley, where she lived for the subsequent 17 years until her peaceful passing. She will be interred in the Cooney family plot at Cuffy’s Cove, Elk, California in Mendocino County and a memorial service will be held at a later time.
Jeanne was predeceased by her husband, Charles, their eldest son, Chip, and her siblings Lucille Perryman and John Ansel Cooney.
She is survived by her sons Peter (Sally) and Richard (Christine); her grandchildren Richard (Lidia), Jeffrey (Lu), Jennifer Orser, Will Strohm, Lawrence Strohm (Biljana), and Janine Medoza (Jose); her 12 great-grandchildren; and Chip’s widow, Dobrila. All of whom loved her very, very, much.
Should you wish to contribute in Jeanne’s name, Emmanuel Episcopal Church and Hospice of the Foothills are suggested.
