Jean Donahoo, 89, of Rexburg, died Sunday, September 7, 2014 at the Carriage Cove Assisted Living in Rexburg. She was born October 30, 1924 in Tucson, Arizona to James Russell Thayer and Hazel Thayer.

She graduated from Tuscon High School in 1942. She and her future husband, Don, met on a Greyhound bus traveling between Los Angeles and Tucson. After several months of courtship, she and Don were married at the LDS bishop's home in Long Beach, California. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.

Don served overseas in the Navy while Jean stayed with her parents in Tucson, where their first son, Mike, was born. After World War II, Don and Jean lived in South Gate, California. They soon left for Idaho where their second son, Wes, was born.

With several more locations in Idaho and Oregon, they were in Mitchell, South Dakota, where at age 37, she entered college. After Graduation and teaching for two years, they moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. She attended and graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Elementary Education. She taught there and again in Salt Lake City, always as a second grade teacher.

After they moved to Virginia, Jean served a second time as a Relief Society President. She was an ordinance worker in the Washington D.C., Idaho Falls, and Mesa, Arizona, LDS temples. After three years of services as an assistant matron in the Idaho Falls temple, she and Don served two LDS missions to Alaska.

She was a faithful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

Following some tender care by the workers at Carriage Cove Assisted Living, and by her loving husband of seventy-one years she passed away quietly September 7, 2014.

She is survived by her husband, Don, son, Mike (Marica) Donahoo and Wes (Kathy) Donahoo, 11 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by father, James Russell Thayer, her mother, Hazel, her stepmother, Ruth and a daughter, Barbara.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, September 11 at the Valley View Ward Chapel, 1070 S 2nd E, in Rexburg, with Bishop Mark Nye officiating. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Flamm Funeral Home and again from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. at the church, on Thursday, prior to services. Interment will be in the Rexburg Cemetery.