Claudia Mary Jeske

JESKE, Claudia Mary – Claudia entered into peaceful sleep on December 15th, 2020 at the Moran Vista Senior Living Center. She began her life on June 25th, 1927 at her grandparent’s home in Rosalia, WA, with Dr. Angus and parents, Claude and Ruby Holling. She started school at Prairie View School near Waverly in 1933. When the family moved to a farm near Spangle in 1936, she enrolled in the Spangle school and was a student there until her high school graduation in 1945. Claudia married her life-long husband, Clarence Jeske, on October 14, 1945. They lived on a farm from 1945 to 1947 just South of her parent’s farm. In 1948, they moved to her parent’s farm to help with the farming operation and the livestock. Later on, Claude and Ruby spent less time on the farm and more time at their cabin on Priest Lake, Idaho, leaving Clarence and Claudia to watch over the farm. In 1947, they were blessed with the first of three sons, Jerry. 1953 brought son, Tom and 1956, son, Rick. The family grew wheat, barley, and peas – not to mention a small dairy herd that had to be milked twice a day. They also had the pigs with their litters and later on, the Black Angus beef cattle. There was always plenty of fence to repair. On top of that, Mom insisted on two hundred chickens each year to be raised from baby chicks. She had a egg and cream route in Spangle once a week. Dad always said, “We lost a dollar on each dozen she sold.” And then there were the two large gardens and a few fruit trees. Summers were spent canning and preparing for harvest. After the boys got older, she would drive grain truck. Each year in July, she would load up the car and take the boys to Priest Lake for a week. There was always plenty of fishing, swimming, huckleberrying and best of all, Grandpa and Grandma. Everything tasted better at the lake. In later years, she and Clarence would travel South to Arizona with the fifth-wheeler in tow, to enjoy some warmer temps during winter and meet up with family and friends. They had farmed together and when Dad passed in 2011, they had been married for 65 years. Mom stayed on the farm for three more years before moving to a nursing home. She still drove the old Cadillac to Rosalia for her hair appointments and to Williams Lake on the weekends to enjoy the two vintage trailers and deck they had for 47 years. Dearly loved by her family, she was truly one of a kind. Claudia was preceded in death by her parents, Claude and Ruby Holling and by her husband, Clarence. She is survived by her three sons: Jerry (Teresa) Jeske of Fairfield, WA, Tom Jeske of Spangle, and Rick (Colleene) Jeske of Spokane, WA; by six grandchildren, Jeremy (Dana) Jeske of Priest Lake, ID, Jerrad (Sherri) Jeske of Yelm, WA, Brandon Jeske of Spangle, WA, Lori (Jeff) Wilbanks of Cheney, WA, Brian (Casey Jo) Jeske of Spangle, and Caitlin Jeske of Ritzville, WA; eight great-grandchildren, Justin Jeske of Priest Lake, ID, Jacob, Jordyn and Jayde Jeske all of Yelm, WA, Jack and Ella Wilbanks both of Cheney, WA, Paige and Alex Jo Jeske both of Spangle, WA. Claudia will be laid to rest, during a family graveside service, beside her lifelong partner and love, Clarence at the Rosalia IOOF Evergreen Cemetery. A warm thank you to all the caregivers at Moran Vista that so lovingly took the time to make our Mother comfortable and ensure her stay there was a pleasant one. A special thanks to the staff of Horizon Hospice for going above and beyond to make sure Mom’s final days were spent as comfortable as possible. Claudia’s family request that all donations be made to: Horizon Hospice of Spokane.