Born Anna Jean Lewis, our mother was known as “Jean” all her married life. One of ten children, she lived through the Depression and the Second World War, retaining her buoyant sense of humor, compassion, and adaptability. From a farm in Missouri, after marrying Eugene Thornbrugh, from the same small town, she would make a home for her family in Oklahoma, Japan, Texas, Washington, and Kansas before transferring to Travis Air Force Base in November 1956. There, she would raise four children, Carol Ann, David, Douglas, and Steven, while providing a stable home life for our father as he traveled the world, first in the US Air Force and later in World Airways.
Following his retirement, she gained an Associate of Arts Degree from Solano Junior College and became a secretary for the Crew Well Drilling company for about a decade. She also found time to help raise her first grandchild, Anthony Cameron Nickel, while honing her craft and artistic skills as a seamstress, quilter, bead maker, and gardener. She was a dedicated member of First Baptist Church for many years.
While remaining in relatively good health, she eventually required full-time care, retaining her sense of humor and positive outlook to the end of her life. Other survivors include grandchildren Aaron, Chloe, and Sophia. She will be interned at Vacaville-Elmira Cemetery, joining her husband Eugene, who passed away almost exactly four years ago.