Obituary of Jean Marie Damerow

Though you may shed tears when you first hear of the passing of Jean "Jeannie" Damerow, who died on September 13th in Tucson, it's hard not to smile when thinking of her. A truly original character, Jeannie will be remembered for her adventurousness and playful sense of humor, her fervent love of family, and the insistence that you never leave her house without taking some food with you. Jeannie was born in Minnesota in 1954 to Alfred and Dolores Odden. She often spoke fondly of the exhilarating and perilous adventures she and her siblings endured while growing up on their farm, which oftentimes seemed to include the injury or near loss of a body part. Throughout her life, Jeannie was really known for her endless supply of energy which allowed her to work a midnight shift, come home to babysit grandkids and finish up the day with a seven-hour round of Bingo. Her talkative friendliness was also one of her trademarks. It made people instantly at ease and she never hesitated to strike up a conversation with anyone she came into contact with whether she knew them or not: grocery baggers, garbage men, waitresses, flight attendants, etc., etc., etc. Once she became a grandmother, she was notorious and unapologetic for spoiling her grandchildren to a criminal degree; it is suspected that she personally kept the local Toys R Us afloat for many years. In all seriousness, Jeannie loved life and family to a degree none of us will ever see again and held tight to both until the very end. She is survived by her husband Chuck Damerow; daughters Valerie (Josh) Paugh and Rebecca Cable; grandkids Robbie, Harrison, Zach and Abby; seven adoring sisters and brothers; and countless loving nieces, nephews and in-laws. A service will be held in the summer of 2019 at Eidskog Cemetery in Ortonville, Minnesota. Donations can be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society.