Jeanne Marie Andersen was born to Hans Andersen (he was Danish, but wasn't the fairy tail writer) and Myrtle Anderson on April 19, 1931 in Chicago IL.

She grew up in Chicago, graduating from Sullivan High School in 1949. She studied millinery and dress design. After graduating she decided to move to California on her own. She was a new driver, but that did not deter her. Determined to go to Southern California, she advertised and found a more experienced driver. The two girls successfully made it to California where Jeanne got a job as a telephone operator, saved up her money and bought her first house early on, about age 20. This was NOT the last house she would buy.

She met Eben Twaddle at a Lawrence Welk dance and the two hit it off. (Perhaps that is why Jeanne always loved Lawrence Welk music.) They married on August 13, 1955 in Los Angeles, California. The couple lived in Riverside, California while Spike worked for Rohr Aircraft Company. Their first two children, Terry and Eben, were born there.

The Twaddle's moved to the Sedro Woolley, Washington area in 1969. They moved into a house on Prairie Road. Jeanne was expecting their third child, Tanya when they moved. She got a realtor's license and was her own best customer, gradually buying and fixing up decrepit houses.

They converted chicken houses, raised a whole house up to create another floor, moved a house from the path of the freeway. One house (they called it the cat house) had many cats and no litter box. They ripped out floors and walls and put in windows and especially insulation, and more insulation, and more insulation. It's a shame there was no HGTV back then – she would have been a star.

In 1985 they retired to Oceanside CA, and also lived briefly in Carlsbad CA before returning to an old decrepit cottage with a chicken coop on Samish Island. Jeanne fell through the floor the first time she walked into the chicken coop, but that didn't deter her. Eventually, they succeeded in converting the combination into a very livable house right on the water. Jeanne's determination showed up in another way when they couldn't get permission to add windows to the house. They built a "greenhouse" addition facing the water which provided gorgeous views of the bay and Anacortes.

Although Jeanne grew up as a city girl in Chicago, she was NOT prissy. She was known as "the calf lady" because she would hand feed the newborn calves she bought at auctions. She would buy and put them in her van and expect her kids to control them while she drove home. The most memorable calves were "459" and "7 bucks", which was the price she paid for it.

Jeanne was an energetic and vibrant woman. She worked hard and liked to buy and fix up houses. Fixing up her houses dovetailed nicely with her favorite entertainment – watching men work. Jeanne wasn't afraid to work herself. One day when Spike was at work, she decided to dig out the crawl space under their house with a coffee can. She got stuck underneath the house all day until Spike got home and pulled her out.

Another example of her determined nature occurred when they were living with their three children in a two bedroom house on Prairie Road. Jeanne decided the attic could be converted into bedrooms to give a bit more space. Spike was not enamored of the idea, but one day he came home from work to discover she had cut a hole in the ceiling, stuck up a ladder and put down plywood over the 2x4s to create a 2nd floor.

Jeanne was very frugal and loved to find bargains. She believed in hard work, didn't cuss, was not a smoker, drinker or drug user. She always looked for ways to add value.

Spike passed away on August 27, 1997. After he passed, she continued to refurbish houses. She enjoyed traveling, and especially cruises. After her stroke in late December 2019, pulmonary fibrosis was discovered and this disease eventually claimed her life.

Jeanne passed away peacefully in the presence of all three of her children in Burlington WA on August 20, 2024 at the age of 93.

She was preceded in death by her husband Spike, and one grandson, Josh Simpson. She is survived by three children – Terry Porter, Eben Twaddle and Tanya Simpson, 7 grandchildren, Chandra Hisel, Marla Shneyer, Amanda Jeanne Griffith, Kip Twaddle, Mark Twaddle, Alisha Twaddle, Kristin Nederhood, Rachel Caldwell,  Garrett Rader, Crystal Butterfield and 14 great grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at Bow Cemetery on August 24, 2024 at 11:00 AM. Arrangements are made by Hawthorne Funeral Home. This obituary will be available on their website. Friends and family are invited to a time of remembrance at the Hickson Community Hall following the service, where there will snacks and music provided by one of her favorite musicians, Lee Howard.