Jessie Arlene Monroe passed away on Saturday, May 30, at Rocky Mountain Care in Evanston. She was born on Dec. 9, 1933, in Robertson, to William Marvin Lamb and Florence Martha (Rasmussen) Lamb. She attended schools in Mountain View.
She is survived by children, Audra (Keith) Moyes of Evanston, Leila (Tom) Dean of Fort Bridger, and Cheryl (Alan) Hinman of Lyman; grandchildren, Crystalynn (Shawn) Saban, Michaela (Kody) Bristow, Jeramy (Julie) Bentley, Spencer (Melissa) Bentley, Christopher (Sheri) Bentley, Barry (Becky) Moyes, Meagan (Chris) Dunlap, Jason (Heather) Dean, Katie Graham and Lindsey (Austin) Cary; and 19 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother, Ralph (Carol) Lamb of Rock Springs; her sister, Edith Brown of Evanston; sisters-in-law, Ina Lamb of Evanston, Linda Lamb of Evanston, Claire Sells of The Colony, Texas, and Garnett Lamb of Mountain View; and brothers-in-law, Harold Monroe of Rock Springs, Edward Monroe, Sparta, Missouri, and Erwin Seig of Lake Havasu, Arizona.
She is preceded in death by husband, Arthur E. Monroe; sons, Terry F. Isherwood and Danny Isherwood; daughter, Elizabeth Jean Monroe; father, William Marvin Lamb; mother, Florence Martha Rasmussen Lamb Steel; brothers, infant brother Lamb, Mickey Lamb, Del Lamb, Jack Lamb, Frank Lamb and Dean Lamb; and sisters, Zella White, Emma Hutchinson, Lula Fay Lamb and Dorothy Harvey.
Jessie came to Evanston from Mountain View, at the young age of 14 and began working in the cafes as a waitress. She met her first husband, Frank Isherwood Jr., and they had two children, Terry and Danny. They later divorced.
She met Arthur Monroe while waitressing when he would come in for lunch and they were married on Oct. 16, 1954, in Rock Springs. They had four more children, Audra, Leila, Elizabeth and Cheryl.
Jessie began working at the Wyoming State Hospital as an aide and completed a diploma in the psychiatric nurse program at Weber State College in Ogden, Utah. She worked at the State Hospital, eventually supervising multiple halls until 1977, when she “retired” and she and Art bought Pine Gables in Evanston.
She enjoyed decorating and furnishing the bed and breakfast with period antiques and décor and running the antique store within it. She was an avid gardener and loved oil painting. She made fresh pastries every morning for the guests at Pine Gables. She was instrumental in getting Pine Gables listed on the National Historical Register. When the oil boom was waning, she and her business partner, Donna Piiarnen, began making custom draperies. When Jessie and Art opened the Possibility Shop, the custom drapery business expanded to flooring, wallpaper, paint, art supplies and custom framing.
After moving the custom framing shop back to Pine Gables, Jessie went to work for the Evanston Senior Citizen Center as a case manager. She enjoyed working with all the seniors in Evanston and meeting other case managers from across the state. Jessie was instrumental in getting the adult day care opened here in Evanston and in Lyman.
Jessie and Art sold Pine Gables in 1998 and “retired” to enjoy fishing and boating more. Jessie enjoyed camping, fishing with her family until running the bed and breakfast prevented them from being able to take vacations. After Pine Gables was sold, she and Art enjoyed weekends at Flaming Gorge fishing and camping with family again.
After Art’s death in 2000, Jessie found she had too much time on her hands, so she began working as a social worker at Rocky Mountain Care. She made a couple of trips to Alaska, visiting friends and seeing the beauty. Jessie retired again and began to focus on her gardening, reading books, going to yard sales, sewing and altering clothes and expanding her collections of birdhouses, nutcrackers and antiques.
Jessie was a member of Mavis Homemaker’s Club, a 4H club leader, Daughters of the Nile, Eastern Star, was a past Bethel Guardian of Job’s Daughters and a member of the Red Hats Society. She was active with the Hotel Motel Association and the Downtown Renewal Agency and was always interested in increasing tourism and business for Evanston.
Jessie was a member of St Paul’s Episcopal Church and always enjoyed the visits with her friends there and when they came to the house. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends.
A graveside service will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, at the Evanston City Cemetery, with a viewing from noon to 1:45 P.M. at Crandall Funeral Home.
