Jeanne Hutchinson Davison

Jeanne Hutchinson Davison, 90, passed away peacefully on September 4th in Yakima, Washington.

A member of “The Greatest Generation”, she was born on January 10, 1922 in Maryville, Missouri, to Samuel Hutchinson, a farmer, and Frances Lloyd, a schoolteacher.  She had a younger brother, Samuel Lloyd Hutchinson, who was a famous cartoonist.

Jeanne grew up on a farm outside the town of Graham, Missouri.

The family belonged to the Presbyterian Church of Graham.

At the height of the Great Depression, when Jeanne was just ten, her fatherdied and the farm was divided. Upon her mother’s remarriage, the family moved to town.

Jeanne attended school in a one-room schoolhouse until enrolling in Graham High School (now Nodaway-Holt High School).  It was quite an adjustment from being the only pupil in her grade level to being in a classroom full of students! Upon graduation, she attended Maryville State Teachers’ College (now Northwest Missouri State University). Her first job was teaching country school in a one-room schoolhouse.

Next, she moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where she worked in the front office of Bryan Memorial Hospital. Jeanne joined the “Lincolnettes”, a group similar to the U.S.O.  One of the highlights of her life was dancing to big name bands.

A natural beauty, she was approached by a modeling agency, but abhorred the idea of moving to New York, as she was a true country girl. She always took great pride in her appearance, never being seen without makeup.

Jeanne worked as a secretary for GE at the Hanford Project in Richland, WA. Her first husband, Bob Eddleman, an Air Force pilot, also worked at Hanford. They lived on the Yakima River outside Richland and raised championship dogs. Tragically, Bob developed brain cancer and died at the age of 45.

Her second husband, Bill Davison, was a Canadian lawyer with the British Columbia government. They lived in Victoria, B.C. until Bill’s untimely death due to a heart attack.

Jeanne then moved to Yakima and worked as a medical transcriptionist in an osteopathic hospital’s physician’s office, which was her favorite job. She was a longtime Yakima resident, and had many close friends in the area. She was always there when a friend needed assistance. If Jeanne knew that a friend was struggling financially, she would (anonymously) pay for her dinner when their group went out.

However, Jeanne always considered Missouri to be “home”, and enjoyed attending class reunions in Graham, as well as the Graham Sesquicentennial in 1989.

Jeanne had a brilliant intellect, a vast vocabulary, and a great sense of humor.

Her passion was family history and genealogy.  She was also a published writer.

She was ahead of her time in health research, and once arrived at a friend’s house with a pillowcase full of vitamins!

Jeanne was an excellent cook, and gave recipe advice to her friends, resulting in star-quality meals. She loved eating out and critiquing each dish.

She lived on the phone 24/7 and had all her friends’ phone numbers memorized.

Jeanne was an enthusiastic fan of her brother Lloyd’s cartoons. And, she spoke several times a day to her niece Stephanie, sharing many hearty laughs.

Jeanne had a youthful spirit and was full of zest and enthusiasm until the end.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, and her brother.

Jeanne was a dear aunt and a beloved friend. She is survived by her niece, Dr. Stephanie Hutchinson, a Los Angeles playwright/composer/lyricist, and a host of dear friends.

Jeanne is now rejoicing in Heaven with all who have gone before!

A simple graveside service will be held Friday September 21st at 11:00 a.m. at the Maitland Cemetery.