Jeanette Whitcher

1927 - 2018

Jeanette Mattson Whitcher October 19, 1927 August 3, 2018 Jeanette was born into a fishing family. Her parents, Joseph George Mattson and Helena Frances Bronson were ocean fishing when "George" piloted their boat to the Quileute Reservation at LaPush, Washington. There Jeanette was born in the Indian agent's house. Times were difficult for the young couple. They followed the salmon runs from California to Alaska; making homes for their children on boats, in fishing tent camps, and in numerous port towns along the West Coast. George died in a fishing accident crossing the river bar at Newport, Oregon in 1943. By that time Helena had moved with her two youngest, Jeanette and Donald, to Alaska where Helena worked for the railroad. A star student at Anchorage High, Jeanette was awarded a full scholarship to University of Washington. The year was 1945. With the advent of WWII, Anchorage was flooded with soldiers. Despite Helena's efforts to restrict her daughter's exposure to the men, she met and fell in love with a young airplane mechanic, Ladd Lee Whitcher. Jeanette and Ladd married in December 1945. The University rescinded her scholarship. Jeanette and Ladd spent the first months of married life living with his parents in Kearney, Nebraska. Their first baby, Helena Frances Whitcher, was born and died there at the age of six weeks. Jeanette dreamed of returning to the West Coast, to Anchorage. But when Ladd landed a job with Bell Telephone in Olympia, Washington, they jumped at the chance. There in 1947 they bought a small house built on pilings in Puget Sound - beneath a steep bluff (200 stairs up to the carport) and above the tide that ebbed and flowed under the pilings. Here they raised four children. When the eldest was nine, a chimney fire destroyed the house and the family rebuilt uphill next to the city street. In Olympia Jeanette found the liberal, forward-looking community that she sought. She joined other women in founding community mental health services and the Olympia Unitarian Fellowship. She became president of the local parent/teacher association. An active member of the American Association of University Women and a charter subscriber to Ms. Magazine, Jeanette was a strong advocate for women's equity. Jeanette was instrumental in bringing AAUW's Expanding Your Horizons program to Thurston County. The program encourages girls to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer specialists through fun activities and mentoring. The girl who started school by skipping first grade, never gave up on her education. With four children in public school and working full-time, Jeanette returned to college. In nine years between 1965 and 1975, Jeanette completed three degrees: Data Processing (Olympia Vocational-Technical Institute), Bachelor in Liberal Studies (University of Oklahoma) and Master of Librarianship (University of Washington). Jeanette's professional career began in 1965 when she was hired by the Washington State Library and began designing data processing applications - pioneering computer implementation at the State Library. Steadily moving up the career ladder from Programmer I to Programmer II to Computer Systems Analyst II at the State Library, Jeanette planned and developed the base catalog for the Timberland Library Demonstration. This Library Demonstration unified the libraries of a five-county area folding their collections into a single system that is known today as Timberland Regional Library. She retired from the Department of Information Services in 1989. Jeanette would always rather act than complain. Faith in action was a central credo of her Humanist faith. Action meant first of all, love of family. Her home was a welcoming center for her children, grandchildren and their friends, as well as for her friends and colleagues. Ladd and Jeanette's New Year's Eve parties were legendary - the ultimate social gathering among their circle of friends. She fostered three high school students for whom life at home was no longer an option. Grandchildren brought endless joy to her life. Next, stepping beyond her own circle, Jeanette became a political activist. Her imperative was to work for good and do her best to enrich the earth rather than destroy it. She organized local election campaigns, attended protests, campaigned for elimination of the death penalty, demonstrated for racial justice, and advocated for women's rights. Three of her great-grandsons are already ringing doorbells for progressive candidates. Ladd died in 2001. Jeanette outlived all her siblings, Evelyn West, Helen Yocum, George Mattson and Donald Mattson. She is survived by her children, John Lee Whitcher (Susan), Celia Joy Whitcher-Tobin (Gary), Mark Charles Whitcher, and Linda Jeanne Whitcher (Greg); ten grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. A memorial will be held November 17, 2018 at Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Olympia Washington.