Jeanette Bernice Parent
Jeanette Bernice Parent, 99, departed life August 2, 2012, one month shy of her 100th, birthday, at Benefis Care Center in Great Falls, Montana in the arms of her loving granddaughter, Dawn McGee. She was born September 2, 1912, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Ernest Robert Hewitt and Cora Mae Wellcome Case, the 4th of nine children.
The Hewitt family farmed in the New Ulm and Odessa, Minnesota area from 1907-1911 where three of her sisters were born. They then moved to the Minneapolis-St Paul area for several years. In 1915 moved to Ortonville where her father worked as a dray driver. Later they would move to Clinton and farm where several of her siblings were born. In 1928 they relocated to a homestead near Jordan, Montana, where they resided until her father went to work on the Fort Peck Dam when he built a home in the town of Jordan.
Jeanette graduated from Jordan High School in 1930. She then attended nursing school in Galen, Montana, where she earned her RN degree. She worked at the hospital in Galen until moving to Whitefish, Mt in 1934 where she met and married Emmet William “Mick” McGee, a carman with the Great Northern RR. Her sister, Margaret (Hewitt) Thompson, also resided in Whitefish.
In Whitefish she was known as Dr. Lockridge’s third arm and his most-valued assistant at his clinic for over 20 years. In 1941 she had her only child, a son, William Michael “Mike” McGee.
She divorced in 1952 and continued to work and live in Whitefish until retirement.
On March 13, 1962 she married Martin Parent a long-time friend from her childhood in Jordan. They subsequently moved to Anaconda, Montana, until Martin’s retirement. Martin died there in 2001. In 2004 Jeanette moved to the Benefis Care Center in Great Falls, Mt, where she has resided since.
She was known throughout her life as the sweetest and kindest lady a person would ever be privileged to meet. Her cooking, canning and pies were a treasure she shared with all who knew her. Nobody made her acquaintance without being a friend.
She was preceded in death by 7 siblings. Surviving is her son, William Michael McGee of Great Falls, her brother, Donald Hewitt, of Mackay, Idaho, grandson David McGee of Anaconda, granddaughters, Wendy and Shannon McGee of Minneapolis, MN, Dawn McGee of Great Falls, and greatgrandchildren Michelle, Michaela, Marissa and Maverick McGee of Great Falls.
A celebration of her life will be held at Benefis on August 11, 2012. A second memorial will be held in Anaconda on September 2 which would have been the anniversary of her 100th birthday. She will be interred there.