Jean Lois Klinka Anderson

1926 - 2020

Jean Lois Klinka Anderson

Passed away at the age of 94 at Three Crowns Park, Evanston, IL on September 14, 2020 as a result of several medical complications including dementia.

Born April 1, 1926 in Milwaukee, WI, Jean was always a leader, a teacher and a great writer throughout her life. She graduated from Washington High School in Milwaukee as President of the Student Council in 1943. Graduating from Beloit College in 1947, she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority, editor of the Round Table newspaper, and became the Class Agent for their alumni events over the years. She met John Anderson at Beloit College when he returned from serving in the U.S. Navy during WWII, and they married in 1948. Later, she and a neighbor opened a childcare center in Kalamazoo, MI while residing at Kalamazoo College. Living back in Beloit in the 1960s, she was elected President of the local League of Women Voters. She also served as a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Beloit.

While she and her husband raised three children in Beloit, Mrs. Anderson received her teaching certificate and a Master's in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She then worked as an English teacher at Lincoln Jr. High School in Beloit. When they moved to Wilmette, IL in 1976, she taught at Culver Middle School in Niles, IL where she was a Reading Specialist and tutored many children privately in ESL until her retirement in 1991. She then volunteered for the Rochelle Lee Fund and continued to tutor students in ESL. In addition, Jean served as a Deacon and Chair of the Education Committee at Wilmette Presbyterian Church.

In her retirement, Jean enjoyed gardening, quilting, traveling, getting together with friends from college and church, sharing holidays with family, baking Christmas cookies, reading and writing. She and her husband moved into Three Crowns Park, a continuous care community, in 2006. The family is very thankful to the staff there, and especially those in Elsa House, where she lived for the past few years.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband, John. She is survived by her brother, Ted Klinka, and her sister-in-law, Shirley Klinka; her three children, Maybeth Anderson, Debbie (and Dan) Paprocki, and Ted Anderson; three grandchildren, one great grandson, and several, loving nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will take place at a future date at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Beloit, WI.