Jeanne Rigdon

Jeanne Rigdon passed away October 14, 2017, in her foster home at the age of 83; with her sister, Diane, son, Neal Rigdon and his wife, Debbie by her side.  Jeanne was born May 14, 1934, in Jamestown, North Dakota to Clifford Vandeberghe and Verna Lewis.  She moved to Clackamas, Oregon when she was 8.  She went to St. John's Catholic School through 8th grade and then graduated from Milwaukie High School.  She met Ralph at a dance club called Watkins Park in Clackamas in 1953.  They dated for a short time until Ralph went into the Army. They married at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on February 12, 1955.  They were married 59 ½ years before his death in June 2014.



Jeanne was a stay at home mom her entire life.  She was funny, kind, and always loved being with family.  She was an almost perfect spelling machine, much to the chagrin of her children.  She had a wicked sense of humor, including when she and Ralph were picking out their caskets.  "That pillow is going to be too ____ hard!"



Jeanne was afflicted with bi-polar disorder when she was in her teens.  She enjoyed camping together with her parents and siblings, canning fruits and especially being with her grandchildren. Her last years were more difficult with dementia and Alzheimer's.



She is survived by her sister, Diane (Ron); daughter, Patricia (Greg); sons, Dean (Pam), Gary (Sharilyn), Mark and Neal (Debbie).  She had six grandchildren, Anthony, Katie, Joseph, Theodor, Alexander and Preston.  She was blessed with one great-grandchild, Kaleb.  There are cousins, nieces and nephews to be thankful for.



The family would like to acknowledge the special care that Rivervilla Care gave to Jeanne for nearly 3 years.