Kenneth Earl Jessee, 94
Kenneth Earl Jessee was born Nov. 14, 1918, in Browning, Mo., to T.R. and Beulah Jessee. He passed on to his next journey April 6, 2013. He was affectionately nicknamed Mutt and his twin brother, Jeff, after the comic strip, “Mutt and Jeff.”
As a child his family moved to LaSalle, Colo., where his father started Jessee’s Garage. This started Mutt’s love affair of tinkering with cars and trucks. He became an accomplished mechanic which would be his profession for 50 years.
While serving in the U.S. Army Air Force, he became a specialist in aerial photography. Ken obtained the rank of Sergeant before his honorable discharge in 1943.
While serving in the military, he met, fell in love with and married Marjorie Jean Mainord of Platteville, Colo.; on May 14, 1942. After the military, they settled in LaSalle and he joined his father in business at Jessee’s garage.
Mutt loved the outdoors and fly fishing. Every weekend possible, there were camping and fishing trips on the many streams of Colorado, Mutt and Marge particularly loved the Poudre River in Poudre Canyon outside of Ft. Collins, Colo.
He was an avid gardener and family members joked that he should have become a farmer not a mechanic. Mutt was especially known for his sweet tomatoes and corn.
Mutt and Marge left their home in Colorado to move to Coeur d’Alene to be closer to their grandchildren. After Marge’s passing in 1997, Ken traveled to Arizona and ended up living in Bandon, Ore., before returning to Coeur d’Alene in November 2011. He spent the last year and half of his life at Sylvan House in Hayden. Our family’s many thanks go to the staff at Sylvan, for the loving care dad received there.
He leaves behind his daughter, Katherine Jessee Fraser and her husband Doug; and four grandchildren: Megan, Lizzy, Scott and Shannon. He also leaves behind many memories. Dad you will be missed.
English Funeral Chapel, Coeur d’Alene, has been entrusted to handle final arrangements. Please visit Ken’s online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.