Mary Jean Wiltse

Mary Jean (Bullock) Wiltse was born on October 20, 1929 in Madrid Nebraska. She was the youngest of 3 daughters born to Ward and Ruby (Mann) Bullock. She grew up in Madrid and worked for her parents in Bullock'?s hardware and mercantile store. Ward left a powerful impression on Mary Jean with the number of debts he wrote off during the depression years.After she graduated from Madrid High School in 1947, Mary Jean attended Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln where she met her husband Bill Wiltse. They were married on November 22, 1951 in Madrid. Three daughters and one son were born to this union. While Bill attended medical school, Mary Jean taught high school in Plattsmouth and worked as a cytology tech at the University Medical School in Omaha. They eventually settled in Cottage Grove, Oregon where Bill established his medical practice in nearby Drain. They also had a Christmas tree farm near Cottage Grove where it is estimated that they planted over 100,000 seedlings.Planting seeds is a metaphor of her life. She planted many seeds of kindness, love, and compassion and they continue to grow and make the world a better place. Mary Jean'?s primary purpose in her life was to raise her children in a loving home. She supported her children in their activities, especially when they all became active with the swim team in Cottage Grove. Bill and Mary Jean hosted exchange students from Korea, Sweden, and Brazil. At another time, they opened their home to an older homeless man who lived under a bridge. '''Mr. Atkins''? lived with the family for seven years.Mary Jean modeled a life of selfless, prayerful devotion to God and others. She belonged to the First Presbyterian Church in Cottage Grove and later the First Congregational Church in Bellevue, Washington where she was an active volunteer. Mary Jean supported the Sanctuary program providing a safe refuge for a family from El Salvador. She was a strong advocate for peace and along with her daughter, Lyn, attended a conference for global healing in Bali in 2003. She visited nursing homes, volunteered at Eastside Literacy Program in Bellevue, and, as an older woman she marched with her church to '''work and pray for peace.''? She was a member of the P.E.O.Mary Jean'?s health began to fail in 2007 and she was eventually moved to the Peace of Mind Adult Family Home in Bellevue Washington where she died November 26, 2011 at the age of 82. In addition to her parents, Mary Jean was preceded in death by her sister Audrey VanSkiver.She is survived by those she dearly loved; daughters- Jan Wiltse Karst of Lincoln, Shari (Mike) Workman of Puyallup Washington, Lyn Wiltse of Kirkland Washington; son- Robert (Tracey) Wiltse of Long Beach California; 4 grandchildren- Melissa, Luke, Will, and Nate; 3 great-grandchildren, Soren, Sascha, and August; her former husband Bill of Eugene, Oregon; her sister Joyce Long of Grant Nebraska and her nephews and nieces.