Obituary for Jean Marian Epps (Hilborn)
Jean Marian (Hilborn) Epps – July 18, 1924 – April 5, 2022
Jean Marian (Hilborn) Epps passed away at age 97 of natural causes on April 5, 2022, in Midland, MI. Jean was born in Kane, PA on July 18, 1924 to Ralph Hilborn and Agnes (Rockwell) Hilborn. She resided in Kane until high school, when she moved to Tulsa, OK where her father was a controller for an accounting firm. Jean graduated from Tulsa Central High School, and she attended the University of Tulsa, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Languages and a Minor in English.
Following her graduation from college, Jean met Calvin Epps following his return from service in WWII. They were married in her father’s home on September 4, 1948 and made their home in Tulsa for the next 58 years. Jean worked as an executive secretary, first at Humble Oil Company and, later, at F&M Bank and Trust Company in Tulsa. In 1965, Jean and Calvin welcomed their only child, Linda (Epps) Weiss, whom they raised in Tulsa in the home where they lived from 1960-2006.
After she retired from F&M, Jean and Calvin enjoyed retirement by doing home projects, taking care of their cocker spaniels, Tara and Mandy, visiting with neighbors, and gardening. Jean was very skilled at knitting and crocheting, and she created many baby blankets for friends. She was an expert at crossword puzzles, was an avid reader of mystery novels, and remained fluent in French her entire life. She also loved watching The Incredible Dr. Pol on television, and she enjoyed other shows about animals and travel. She and Calvin traveled extensively throughout their lives, and they were especially fond of travels to Hawai’i, the British Isles, New England, and Canada.
Jean and Calvin moved to Michigan in 2006 to be closer to their daughter, Linda, and her husband, Tom Weiss. Calvin passed away in March, 2007, and Jean continued to reside in their condo located about a mile from Linda’s home until recently, with her constant companion, her toy poodle Daisy. Until her mid-90s, Jean continued to live largely independently, but after breaking her shoulder and hip in a fall in October 2021, she required more skilled care.
Jean was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Calvin, and by her parents. She is survived by her sister, Nancy (Hilborn) King of Naples, FL, and by her daughter, Linda Weiss (Tom), of Mount Pleasant, MI, as well as her beloved Toy Poodle, Daisy. Jean was also preceded in death by her brother-in-law, James King, and by several couples whom she considered family and who were Linda’s “Honorary Aunts and Uncles”: Dr. Paul and Helen April, of Tulsa, Nick and Bunt Carter, of Tulsa, and Walter and Nettie Oakes, of New Braunfels, TX.
Jean’s family would like to thank Brittany Manor in Midland, MI and Heartland/Promedica Hospice for their caring, attentive, and excellent care over the last 6 months, as well as her in-home caregivers, Tiffany and Rose, whose help allowed Jean to stay in her own home as long as possible. We also extend thanks to the Isabella County Commission on Aging for their in-home services and to Jean’s special friends, William Livingston and Brenda Dezelski, and her neighbor, Dennis Thavenet.
No services will be held, and cremation has taken place at Daisy Hill Crematory in Mt. Pleasant. https://www.daisyhillcrematory.com/
In lieu of flowers, friends wishing to make a memorial donation are encouraged to donate one of Jean’s favorite organizations: the Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center (www.cockeradoptions.org), the Isabella County Commission on Aging (https://www.isabellacounty.org/departments/commission-on-aging/), or the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/).
Jean Marian (Hilborn) Epps passed away at age 97 of natural causes on April 5, 2022, in Midland, MI. Jean was born in Kane, PA on July 18, 1924 to Ralph Hilborn and Agnes (Rockwell) Hilborn. She resided in Kane until high school, when she moved to Tulsa, OK where her father was a controller for an accounting firm. Jean graduated from Tulsa Central High School, and she attended the University of Tulsa, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Languages and a Minor in English.
Following her graduation from college, Jean met Calvin Epps following his return from service in WWII. They were married in her father’s home on September 4, 1948 and made their home in Tulsa for the next 58 years. Jean worked as an executive secretary, first at Humble Oil Company and, later, at F&M Bank and Trust Company in Tulsa. In 1965, Jean and Calvin welcomed their only child, Linda (Epps) Weiss, whom they raised in Tulsa in the home where they lived from 1960-2006.
After she retired from F&M, Jean and Calvin enjoyed retirement by doing home projects, taking care of their cocker spaniels, Tara and Mandy, visiting with neighbors, and gardening. Jean was very skilled at knitting and crocheting, and she created many baby blankets for friends. She was an expert at crossword puzzles, was an avid reader of mystery novels, and remained fluent in French her entire life. She also loved watching The Incredible Dr. Pol on television, and she enjoyed other shows about animals and travel. She and Calvin traveled extensively throughout their lives, and they were especially fond of travels to Hawai’i, the British Isles, New England, and Canada.
Jean and Calvin moved to Michigan in 2006 to be closer to their daughter, Linda, and her husband, Tom Weiss. Calvin passed away in March, 2007, and Jean continued to reside in their condo located about a mile from Linda’s home until recently, with her constant companion, her toy poodle Daisy. Until her mid-90s, Jean continued to live largely independently, but after breaking her shoulder and hip in a fall in October 2021, she required more skilled care.
Jean was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Calvin, and by her parents. She is survived by her sister, Nancy (Hilborn) King of Naples, FL, and by her daughter, Linda Weiss (Tom), of Mount Pleasant, MI, as well as her beloved Toy Poodle, Daisy. Jean was also preceded in death by her brother-in-law, James King, and by several couples whom she considered family and who were Linda’s “Honorary Aunts and Uncles”: Dr. Paul and Helen April, of Tulsa, Nick and Bunt Carter, of Tulsa, and Walter and Nettie Oakes, of New Braunfels, TX.
Jean’s family would like to thank Brittany Manor in Midland, MI and Heartland/Promedica Hospice for their caring, attentive, and excellent care over the last 6 months, as well as her in-home caregivers, Tiffany and Rose, whose help allowed Jean to stay in her own home as long as possible. We also extend thanks to the Isabella County Commission on Aging for their in-home services and to Jean’s special friends, William Livingston and Brenda Dezelski, and her neighbor, Dennis Thavenet.
No services will be held, and cremation has taken place at Daisy Hill Crematory in Mt. Pleasant. https://www.daisyhillcrematory.com/
In lieu of flowers, friends wishing to make a memorial donation are encouraged to donate one of Jean’s favorite organizations: the Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center (www.cockeradoptions.org), the Isabella County Commission on Aging (https://www.isabellacounty.org/departments/commission-on-aging/), or the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/).