Jessie Arlena McClain

Jessie went home to be with Jesus on Sunday, May 16, 2010, in Kennewick, WA. She was born on March 7, 1917, in Highfill, AR, to Jackson and Fannie Robbins. She was the ninth child in a family of ten children. She grew up and received her education in Highfill. Jessie made friends with many older people and lived with her grandfather for a few years, to help with his farm, after his wife died. After a whirlwind courtship, Jessie married Herbert Leonard McClain on April 27, 1936, in Bentonville, AR. They moved to Washington in August 1936, where they found work on a dairy farm near Mt. Vernon. They moved into the town of Mt. Vernon, in the fall of 1937, when Herbert started to work delivering milk. For a few months in 1942, they lived on Whidbey Island, while Herbert worked on a Navy base. In 1943, they moved to Everett, where Herbert was employed as Manager of Arown Dairy. In spring of 1948, the family moved to Wenatchee, where Herbert had started a new dairy. Jessie began packing apples at Skookum in the fall of 1952. Later, she became a grader supervisor and, in 1975, she worked with the new computerized equipment for processing apples. She retired from Skookum in 1985, after working there for 32-1/2 years. In August 2006, Jessie moved to Kennewick to The Manor in the Canyon Lakes Retirement Community, to be closer to her daughter. In January of 2009, because of health problems, Jessie moved into a group home for extra care. Jessie loved to cook and entertain. She made great fried chicken and apple pie. She kept her cookie jar full of chocolate chip sugar cookies for her grandchildren and their friends. Jessie also enjoyed planning and helping with church dinners. She was a greeter at her church for 60 years. Jessie is survived by her daughter, Doris Ann Gaona and her husband, Eladio; grandchildren, Debbie McClain, David McClain and Marci Gaona; and sister, Helen Lafragiola of San Jose, CA. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert McClain; and her son, Edwin Dale McClain. Funeral Services will be held at Telford's Chapel of the Valley on Thursday, May 20, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. Concluding Services will follow at Evergreen Memorial Park Mausoleum. Viewing will be held Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. Memorials may be made to Lower Valley Hospice, 3920 Outlook Road, Sunnyside, WA 98944. Arrangements are by Telford's Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.

Jessie Arlena McClain

May 16, 1917 - May 16, 2010