Jeannette Kessler

August 3, 1927 - February 14, 2020

Jeannette K. Kessler passed away peacefully on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020. Services for Jeannette will be held at the United Methodist Church in Torrington, Wyoming, on Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. The Reverend Richard Gilbert will be presiding.Memorials may be made in Jeannette’s name to the Bear Creek Church or to a charitable foundation of your choice. Jeannette was born August 3, 1927, in Wheatland, Wyoming, to Don and Gladys Ayars Kynion of Lingle, Wyoming. She was raised above the Burlington Northern-Sante Fe Depot in Lingle and attended Lingle High School. She graduated as the valedictorian of her class in 1945. Some of her favorite past-times were performing with the school band and attending dances throughout the region during the Big Band era. She was also active in Jobs’ Daughters and a fifty-year member of Eastern Star. Jeannette was an accomplished pianist and passed along her love of music to all three of her children. She graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1949 with a degree in Music and a minor in Business Education. She taught school in Worland, Green River, LaGrange, Wyoming, and Denver, Colorado. While she was living in Denver, Jeannette was courted by Charles W. Kessler of LaGrange. They married on October 21, 1952, and lived on the Kessler Ranch on Bear Creek west of LaGrange throughout their married life. She was a member of Bear Creek Women’s Club and attended the Bear Creek Community Church. She was the accompanist for the church for most of her life. In the tradition of her mother and grandmother, she was an accomplished needle-worker and particularly enjoyed doing cross-stitch and knitting. Her family were the fortunate benefactors of her work. She will be remembered for her insatiable curiosity about what was over the next hill and her feisty personality. Jeannette was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Charles, and her son, Donald K. Kessler. She is survived by her brother, Donald Ayars Kynion, her sister-in-law, Alda Marie Stewart, her son, C. John Kessler (Nancy), her daughter, Patty Kessler (Frank Bristol), her grand-children, Sarah Chaires (Luke), Sam Kessler, and Caleb Bristol, and her great-grandchildren, Morgan and Henry Chaires. She is also survived by her childhood friend, Anna Mae Jeny of Kennewick, Washington.