Jeannette Valentine

Jeannette passed away in Crandall Medical Center of congestive heart failure on Monday, May 9, 2011 at the age of 90. Jeannette Valentine was born Catherine Jeannette Roberts on September 26, 1920 in Alliance Ohio to Robert and Henrietta (Auld) Roberts Sr. The family moved to Cleveland until 1935 when they returned to Alliance, where Jeannette graduated from Alliance High School in 1938. After graduation, she became a secretary for Alliance City Hall and the Alliance City Parks Department under the direction of Mr. Kidwell. Jeannette was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church where she met Ernest Roger Valentine. They were married four years later, after he graduated from Ohio State University. Ernie, as he was called by friends and family, when off to serve his country with the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army in Italy during WWII. Upon his return, he and Jeannette settled down to raise a family in Alliance. They lived on one side of a duplex built by his grandfather on Arch St. Doing things together as a family introduced Jeannette to a whole new world of camping, gardening, and vacations all over the United States and Canada; in addition to more organizations in which to donate her time. She was already a member of a secretarial and working woman’s sorority known as Beta Sigma Phi, She belonged to United Church Women’s Organization and church circle helping to plan church dinners and events. She became an active member of the YWCA and American Cancer Society, where she helped canvas the Alliance area for donations and sell and deliver daffodils. Two sons and a daughter introduced Jeannette to the world of collecting and Scouts. She started collecting coins and stamps, rocks, seashells, bugs and butterflies, spoons, keys, postcards and stamps. She became a Den Mother of Cub Scout Pack 53 at First Presbyterian Church, but meetings were soon held in the basement of her home. There she started collecting plastic bottles, jars, lids and paper towel rolls to do crafts with the cub scouts. Doing crafts brought out Jeannette’s creativity and artistic talents, so after 15 years of being a Den Mother, she decided to make and sell seed pictures at craft shows and from her home. She would give lectures on seed pictures to different groups and organizations and give small tours to anyone interested in seeing her different collections which hung on the walls all over the house. She loved to garden and became known as “The Tomato Lady”, because she raised enough tomatoes to feed the entire neighborhood. She would walk around the neighborhood passing out tomatoes. She sold the house on Arch and moved to Copeland Oaks in 2005. She will be sadly missed by family and friends. Jeannette was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Ernest Roger Valentine. She is survived by one brother, Robert Roberts Jr. of Mission, Texas, two sons, Roger William (Jeri) Valentine of Wellington, Ohio, Robert Richard, of Clearwater, Florida; one daughter, Nancy Gweneth (Jack) Welsh of Sebring; three grandsons, Richard and Eric Valentine of New Franklin, Ohio, and Nathan Valentine of Wellington, Ohio; one granddaughter, Kate Curry and son Alexander, of Columbus, Ohio; and two daughter-in-laws, Judy Valentine, of New Franklin, Ohio and Diana Monahan, of St. Paul, Minnesota. There will be no calling hours. A Memorial Service will be held in the Steven’s Chapel of the First United Presbyterian Church at 425 East Market St., Alliance, Ohio on Wednesday, May 25th, at 7:00 p.m. with the Rev. Dr. James McCurdy presiding. Final resting place will be at Highland Memorial Park. Arrangements are by Walton Schrader Funeral Home, 1131 W. State St., Alliance, Ohio 44601.

Jeannette Valentine

September 26, 1920 - May 9, 2011