Jayne Reames

Jayne Reames was a gifted and creative woman who loved quilting, painting china and making fashionable hats. Above all, though, she loved her family and friends. Underneath her quick sense of humor and cheerful outlook on life was a reservoir of strength, which those around her came to depend on. Always thinking of others before herself, Jayne was both blessed by and a blessing to those she loved. The year was 1921, Douglas Fairbanks starred in the Mark of Zorro and Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio. That same year on July 25th in Muskegon, Michigan, Henry Veeneman and his wife, Anna (VanDervelde), were delighted in welcoming the arrival of their daughter, Jayne. Along with her brother, Orrin, Jayne grew up on her familys sheep farm in the small community of Merritt, Michigan. Her father worked hard as a sheep farmer, and her mother worked just as hard, making sure all the sheep farmers and farm hands were well fed throughout the day. Jayne received her education in the area schools and went on to graduate from Merritt High. It was while in high school that Jayne met the love of her life, Elliott Henry Reames, and they were happily married on January 19, 1938. Although the couple started out their married life living in Merritt, they later moved to Muskegon during the war because of Elliotts job. It was here they would raise their three children: Calvin, Marcia, and Dwight, and create many wonderful memories as a family. To support their growing family, Elliott worked as an electrician, and in fact, went on to be a Master Electrician during his 50-year career. Meanwhile, Jayne juggled being a devoted wife and mother with working too. She attended Hackley School of Nursing for 2 years after high school, but worked for Occidental Hotel as a bookkeeper and switchboard operator for 17 years. It was obvious from a young age that Jayne had a very creative side and a great talent for such. As a young girl, she loved to make hats of all shapes, colors and sizes, a passion she carried with her throughout her life. Later on, Jayne used her skills to make hats and coats for her children, and her daughters majorette outfit too. Her daughter Marcia fondly remembers the rabbit fur muff, coat and matching hat that her mom made for her as a little girl. One year, Jayne had lots of fun making Halloween costumes for her husband and several of her girlfriends for a party they were attending. But then, Jayne showed up fashionable for every party. She took great pride in her appearance, and could always be seen in her favorite colors red or black and white, along with some glitzy jewelry, too. What Jayne loved even more was that she could share this flair for fashion with her daughter, who loved it too. After Jayne retired from the hotel, she decided to put her energy into one of her favorite hobbies, painting ceramic china. She eventually turned her passion into a career by opening her own business called Jaynes Ceramic Shop. Over her 17 years in business, Jayne became well known for her masterful painting techniques, and won several Duncan Painting Awards for her expertise in this area. She also shared her passion with others as an instructor. Outside of work, Jayne loved spending her time as a doting grandmother to her 6 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. She was always in her glory surrounded by the love and smiles of her family. Jayne had such a great sense of humor and was always able to lighten the mood and put a smile on someones face. Although she was somewhat of a private person, she could also be very sociable and absolutely loved her friends. Jayne was proud of her strong Irish heritage, especially the dancing part. She and Elliott loved to dance, and would often head out to the park with the radio that Elliott built in his truck, and dance together on the bridge. Well, that was until Jayne broke her leg. But like everything else in life, Jayne would say, Dont sweat the small stuff. Jayne liked to spend her leisure time doing just that being leisure. As she got older, she enjoyed taking afternoon naps, and time spent lounging on the beach was never wasted time. Jayne was an avid reader, particularly of mystery novels, and of course, she kept up her crafty side making quilts, decorating and painting china. She also liked to cook and enjoyed traveling whenever possible. Jayne was a former member of the Muskegon Eagles and the Recreation Club. Growing up on a farm gave Jayne a soft spot for animals. She had two workhorses named Molly and Dolly on the farm, and several other pets over her lifetime, including Sammie the Poodle, Dapper Dan III the Boxer, Charlie the cat and Babe the black Cocker Spaniel. A loving mother with a passion for her grandchildren, Jayne was a gracious woman. Her kindness, modesty and quiet strength made her someone her family looked to for support and comfort, while those outside her family cherished her friendship and presence. She will be dearly missed. Jayne died on Thursday, November 20, 2008. She is survived by her daughter, Marcia (Norman) Bean of South Dakota; son, Dwight (Judy) Reames of Muskegon; 6 grandchildren: Jeff, Steve, Zoey, Linda, Susan and Barb; 5 great grandchildren, Riley, Rachel, David, Nathan & Kaitlin; nephew, Jack (Charlotte) Veeneman of CA; and sister-in-law, Clara Veeneman of CA. Preceding her in death is her parents; husband, Elliott, in 2000; grandson, Nicholas; son, Calvin; and brother, Orrin Veeneman.