Anne S. Jeffers

1928 - 2019

Anne S. Jeffers

Salem - Anne Wilson Swearingen Jeffers of Salem, Oregon went home to be with the Lord on December 6, 2019. She was 91.

Born in Detroit, MI on October 16, 1928 to Van and Minnie Swearingen, Anne and her sisters Helen, Nancy, and Doris grew up in Michigan. After high school she chose to go all the way to the west coast for college—whether for adventure or to escape the frozen winters we'll never know. In any event the choice was providential. At Western Baptist Bible College in Oakland, CA she met a young Marine, Adrian Jeffers. Impatient for wedded bliss, they raced off to Reno, Nevada mid-semester to be married on April 13,1950.

Anne completed her undergraduate work at Piedmont Bible College in Winston-Salem, NC and Grace College, Winona Lake, IN, while bringing life to her four children. She earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and worked in elementary education as a teacher, principal, and regional consultant.

In the early 1970s, the family moved to Salem where Anne returned to Western Baptist Bible College (now Corban University), but this time serving on staff as Dean of Women, Dean of Students, and Director of Career Services. She completed her career at Corban as an assistant professor of upper division Bible and Ministry classes, retiring at age 85 after more than 40 years of service.

Anne was a popular speaker for workshops, retreats, and conferences throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada. As a speaker, she described her legacy simply : (1.) God made me (Psalm 139:13-16); (2.) God loves me (John 3:16); and (3.) God has a plan for my life (Jer. 29:11).

Anne, with Adrian, attended Bethany Baptist Church for 50 years, helping build the church, singing duets together and as part of the choir, teaching Sunday school, and providing leadership for women's ministries. She loved Jesus, family, and mentoring young people. One of her greatest joys was touching the lives of students. Anne recently said, "My passion is for every young woman I'm in contact with to know that they are gifted by God. It's important to know that you are gifted." She mentored with wisdom and joy.

Anne was well-know for her hospitality, serving southern chili and cornbread, followed by her famous $100 brownies and Russian teacakes. She loved to shop. Even when she couldn't get around easily, she was always ready for a shopping expedition. She loved music and taught herself to play the acoustic guitar for personal accompaniment. Anne started cross-country skiing late in life. She enjoyed ski adventures with friends, although she described her style as more of a getting-up-after-falling than moving forward smoothly. Reading was Anne's favorite pastime. She almost always was in the middle of multiple books at the same time. Hard-core readers protested when she explained that she had to read the end of a murder mystery first, so she could enjoy it without fretting about how it would turn out.

Anne is survived by sisters Nancy Dugas and Doris (Don) Jennings; Adrian, her husband of 69 years; and their four children: Beth Hope, Rockaway Beach, OR; Dawn (Desi) Villaescusa, Lincoln City, OR; Tim (Deb) Jeffers, Ooltewah, TN; and Joel (Kaylene) Jeffers, Ontario, CA. Anne was preceded in death by her eldest sister, Helen Sanford.

Anne's 12 grandchildren are: Jessica (deceased), Esther, and Bethany Stanford; Emily, Mark, and Jennifer Hills; Daniel, David, and Joseph Jeffers; and Nathan, Rachel, and Aaron Jeffers. Her 12 great-grandchildren are: Katy Daley, Tristan Hills, and Lain, Kate, Adrian, Griffin, Elijah, Ezra, Logan, Malcolm, Emmeleia, and Annika Jeffers.

The Celebration of Anne's life is scheduled for Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Bethany Baptist Church, Salem.

Memorial gifts can be made in Anne's name to Corban University, 5000 Deer Park Drive SE, Salem, OR 97317, https://pushpay.com/g/corban.

Arrangements by City View Funeral Home, Salem, OR.