Jean Friddell was born during the Great Depression years and raised by Christian parents who were also raised in Christian homes. She became a Christian at the age of 13 in response to an altar call given at an Evangelical Brethren Church. She met her husband, Hal, at a Presbyterian Church in Ada, Ohio when they were both attending Ohio Northern University. They married and moved to Corvallis, Oregon where her husband finished his graduate studies in electrical engineering. The next year, he took a job with Boeing and she with Northwest Airlines.
After having a prison ministry for three years, and having two children, they took in a foster child for a year and then adopted two newborn girls ten months apart. God is so great, and then He showed Jean that He also had other plans for her life. She was a widow one year later at the age of 35, and having only finished part of a year of college, this meant returning to college, not to become a pharmacist as she had previously planned, but to become a teacher.
The year she graduated, she, her four children, and three other families started Highline Reformed Presbyterian Church where they attended for 20 years. She was first called to teach French at Bellevue Christian High School and remained there for 27 years. She earned a Master's Degree in Computers in Education during this time, and was a missionary for four summers, teaching Advanced English at Lithuania Christian College. She then went on to teach French at Seattle Christian School and served as a deacon in her church.
Three of her four children, and her six grandchildren live in the area. God is so good, and truly gave her an abundant life. So many opportunities opened in ways for her to serve Him. After camping in twelve European countries with her four children for one summer, she was convinced that travel to other parts of the world should be an important part of education. So, she took eight groups of high school students for a month at a time, on educational tours. She traveled to 39 countries including Papua New Guinea living among the natives. She loved sports: snow skiing, water skiing, big game hunting on horseback, sailboat racing, and ping pong. Her hobbies were sewing, gardening, and playing cards with her friends at Westley.

Comments from her children...

Tom: "As her oldest son, mom would often lean on me for support when going through the many stressful life events and decisions she faced as she raised us, after we lost my dad when I was eleven. She loved him dearly and that loss was very difficult for her, but she stepped up to the task of caring for, and raising us in the knowledge of her Lord, Jesus Christ. Despite the intimidation that responsibility carried with it, she did not shy away from it or show any signs of laziness. She disciplined us when we needed it, but we always knew that she loved us and did so with our good in mind. She taught us the work ethic. She showed confidence in us; helping to send all of us to college. She provided us with many opportunities. I attribute much of the success I have had in life to her. She was an example of Christian character. She kept her home and yard immaculate even when no one remained home to help her, and she continued to work to support herself to remain selfsufficient. The thought of living on any kind of public assistance never crossed her mind. When she was young she had sung in light opera, and I remember her beautiful voice, but in later years it lost its clarity. Finally, at 81 she retired from teaching, but not from life. Two years later she was still serving God smuggling bibles into China - and getting caught. But God protected her, and she was let go. In her final year she had many friends, but no matter how often we visited, it wasn't enough. This last month was very tough for us all. It was hard to see such a capable life lose its luster. Almost every day of her final month, I had the privilege of spending some of the last few hours with her, reminiscing about the many good memories of things we did together; the boat wreck on lake MarDon, skiing, lazy summer afternoons in the cool breeze off the Sound with Fizzy drinks after our chores were done, the spaghetti dinners she would host with Italian decorations, traveling Europe with a tent, and many others. We spoke together of death and the confident hope we share of Eternal life and being rejoined with family. She had a quiet trust in Jesus and was more than ready to go. I wish I could tell you more of her. I will miss her greatly."

Jerry: "How many single moms would pack up four kids and take them on a camping trip around Europe? She taught us how to water ski and snow ski and do so many things. The times we were together we could talk about anything. She was an amazing woman, a wonderful mother, a friend...I miss her."

Jenny: "Mom was an inspiration to me and countless others. The last memory I will have is when my youngest, Jonathan, and I went to visit, and she got to meet his girlfriend. We all played Skip-Bo with her. I will miss this but she's with her maker and watching over us left here. I will miss her greatly."

Twyla: "I am sitting here with my mom who passed away this morning. We were with her earlier in the evening and she was not awake, just breathing very slow and with oxygen. She was not on any medication, so it was amazing that she was sleeping so hard. I held her hand. I do not know if she knew I was there in the room. She never opened her eyes. She was tired of hospitals. She was tired of the IVs. Her hands and arms are bruised from those. She was tired of being monitored for eating. She was just tired. So, I am glad she passed sleeping. And I am glad she will be in a better place. And even though you know it is coming and that she was tired to be here, it was still difficult to get the phone call to hear of her passing. She was 89, with four children, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She was independent until the final eight months. She lived a good long life. And even though this past year was especially difficult, I will miss her."