Jean-Marie (Jensen) Crocker (1923 - 2020)

Born 8 Mar 1923 in Winston-Salem, Forsyth, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Died 10 Feb 2020 at age 96 in Saratoga Springs, Saratoga, New York, United States

Biography

Jean-Marie was the daughter of Andrew and Helen M Sweney Jensen.

She died on February 10, 2020 in her home in Saratoga Springs, New York. ^[1]

Obituary

Jean-Marie Jensen Crocker, a long-time resident of Saratoga Springs, died peacefully Monday, February 10, 2020, at her home, surrounded by those she loved.

Born March 8, 1923, in Winston-Salem, N.C., she was the daughter of the late Andrew and Helene (Sweney) Jensen. She attended schools in Swampscott, Mass. and graduated from the School of English at Simmons College in Boston in 1944. After graduation she worked in a publicity firm that handled institutional and charitable accounts. She married Denton Winslow Crocker on February 23, 1946, upon his return from service in the Pacific during World War II. They moved to Ithaca while he studied for his doctoral degree at Cornell University and during this time their first two children were born. They also lived in Amherst, Mass. and later in Waterville, Maine where two more children were born.

In 1960 she moved to Saratoga Springs when her husband assumed the position of chair of the Biology Department at Skidmore College. As a writer Jean-Marie authored poetry, essays and short stories which were published in literary magazines and newspapers. She also wrote a full-length book, "Son of the Cold War", a combined historical account of the era and memoir of the life of their son, Denton Winslow Crocker, Jr., who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1966. The memoir was an integral part of the research done for the documentary, "The Vietnam War", by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick of Florentine Films. Being a Gold Star mother, she also participated as an interviewee in the documentary which was released in 2017. Jean-Marie had many interests, in particular literature, history, music and art. She was a knowledgeable gardener and shared with her husband a love of the natural world. She found pleasure in cooking and sharing meals with friends and family. She was a member of Bethesda Episcopal Church for 60 years and also was a member of the Saratoga Springs Historical Society, Saratoga County Council of the Arts and SPAC.

In addition to her son, Denton Winslow, Jr, she was predeceased by Denton, her husband of 66 years; her parents; and her brother The Reverend Andrew Jensen. She is survived by a two daughters, a son, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She also is survived by a sister-in-law, of White Bear Lake, Minn.; a niece, and a nephew.

Private burial will be in Greenridge Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Online remembrances may be made at burkefuneralhome.com. (Note:Obituary edited for brevity and privacy.) ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Jean-Marie Jensen Crocker," The Albany Times-Union, 16 Feb 2020. Web. Legacy.com, accessed 11 May 2020. link.

See also:

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKW2-512K : 15 September 2016), Reverend Andrew Jensen in entry for Mrs Helen M Sweney Jensen, Massachusetts, United States, 25 Jun 1996; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Worcester Telegram & Gazette, born-digital text.
• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTM-D4QL : 16 July 2017), Professor Denton Winslow Crocker, Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, 21 Feb 2012; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Daily Item, The, born-digital text.
• The Vietnam War “The River Styx.” Episode Three. Directed by Ken Burns. Written by Geoffrey Ward. Public Broadcasting Service, Sep 19, 2017.
• Sons Of the Cold War: A Personal History. Self-Published, 1995. link