Jeannette Emily Oliver Miethke "Jen" Oravetz

Jeannette "Jen" Emily Oliver Miethke Oravetz 1926 ~ 2010 OCEANSIDE -- Jeannette Emily Oliver was born May 26, 1926 in Cleveland, Ohio, and passed away Monday, October 4, 2010. She was the daughter of Leandro Giuseppe Oliva (Andrew Oliver) born March 7, 1889 in Reggio Calabria, Italy (father), and Pauline Stepnicka Oliver (mother) born June 26, 1898 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1904. Jeannette was predeceased by brothers, Bernard Giuseppe Oliver of Cleveland, Ohio and Raymond Vincent Oliver of Strongsville, Ohio; and husband, Paul Oravetz of Livermore, California. She is survived by her former husband, John Charles Miethke of Vista, California; six children, four sons, two daughters: Jan Louise Miethke Hoops of Vista, Calif., Eric John Miethke of Sacramento, Calif, Christian Helms Miethke of Vista, Karl Dean Miethke of Vista, Kurt Matthew Miethke of Vista, and Heidi Miethke Wigler of San Diego, Calif.; niece, Colette Oliver of Juneau, Alaska; nine grandchildren, Jonathan Rory Hoops, Aaron Christopher Hoops, Blake Kueny, Emily Rose Miethke, Olivia Kate Miethke, Samuel Alexander Miethke, John Curtis Miethke, Karl Philip Emmanuel Miethke, and Madison Miethke Wigler. Jeannette grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up between two brothers and loving immigrant parents- her father from Italy a barber and her mother from Czechoslovakia who earned money cleaning wealthy people's homes. She lost her eldest brother, Bernard, in WWII in the Battle of the Bulge. She attended West Tech High School in Cleveland Ohio, where she met John Miethke. They were married in December 1946. Jeannette supported her husband through medical school at Ohio State, while also starting nursing school herself. She laid aside her nursing school dreams to start a family in 1954. From 1955-1956, John and Jen lived in Cocoa Beach, Florida after which, they drove across the country to Westwood, Calif., where John was in residency at UCLA Medical School from 1957-1961. In July 1961, the family moved to Vista, where John was hired as the radiologist for the New Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside, Calif. They continued to raise a family until they had six children in all and remained long time residents of Vista. Loving all children, Jeannette was active member in the Children's Home Society for many years and met many friends and made lasting relationships. Jeannette worked many different jobs to support herself and her family over the years including being a bank teller and phone operator in Cleveland, Ohio, worked in the financial department of Oberlin College, was a receptionist at a hair salon and a payroll specialist at Construction Specialties in San Marcos, Calif. Like her mother, Jeannette valued education and culture, surrounding herself and loved ones with music, books, magazines and encyclopedia sets. She loved to travel with family and friends taking memorable trips to Hawaii, visiting her son in England or daughter in Boston and traveling to Ephesus, Turkey in the "Footsteps of St. Paul" tour and visiting her mother's homeland, Prague, Czechoslovakia. Jeannette always put everyone first before herself -including her children -whom she adored and spent many hours taking to football, softball, and tennis practices, horse riding lessons, trumpet and drum lessons, camping at the beach, and attended hundreds of PTA meetings-all while miraculously managing to have dinner ready for six kids and of course, the friend or two who came over unannounced and still manage a full- time job. She did all this and never complained. There was always plenty of good food to eat. A great cook, Jeannette's Thanksgiving dinners were legendary. Never one to give up on her dreams, Jen enrolled back into nursing school but had to once again place her dream on hold as she was diagnosed with cancer. Jen was a Cancer survivor, she beat it twice, with a feisty and "fighting spirit" that she always attributed to her Italian father and spirited Czech mother. After a well-earned retirement, Jeannette moved to Emerald Lake Village in Oceanside, Calif., where she was one of the original members of the village. In 1990, she reunited with a high school sweetheart, Paul Oravetz and they were married in February, 1991. Their marriage lasted six weeks-cut tragically short by Paul's untimely death of heart failure. She attributed her short marriage to Paul as way for God to bring her back to Catholic Church and her faith. She remained an active and long-time member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Oceanside, California watching it grow from an empty field to a thriving church and school. In her later years, Jeannette immensely enjoyed watching her grandchildren grow up and start the circle of life all over again. We are celebrating her life and the lasting impression she left on everyone else's. She was an incredible sister, wife, mother, friend and woman who will be greatly missed and remembered fondly by all. Memorial Mass will be held Friday, October 15, 2010, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 1450 S. Melrose Dr., Oceanside, Calif. 92056-5394 - (760) 758-4100. Donations can be made in Jen's honor to: St. Thomas More Catholic Church Building Fund, 1450 S. Melrose Dr., Oceanside, Calif. 92056-5394 - (760) 758-4100 ext. 100. Private Burial: Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, 4050 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, Calif. 92057-6402. Sign the Guest Book online obits.nctimes.com