JessAnn Collier

October 29, 1926 - February 21, 2015

Jess Ann was born the 29th day of October, 1926, in Meade County, Sturgis, South Dakota, to Roderick Cruickshank and Esther McGregor. She grew up on the family ranch at Glencoe, near Sturgis. She had 2 sisters, Joann and Janet, and a brother, Gregor. Their family raised cattle and hogs on the ranch where she remembered living in the big ranch house with a cookstove and ice skating on their pond. When she was 16, she was out in her family hay field and a small plane flew over, dipping its wings to say hello. That was when she knew she wanted to fly. She attended Sturgis High School. Her favorite subjects were speech, science and Home Ec. She was a successful member of the Athletic Association, Pep club, Journalism, Debate club, student council, a spunky cheerleader, Vice President of her class, and played music. She graduated third in her class in 1944. In 1947 she married her high school sweetheart. In 1952, she gave birth to her baby girl, Kay Adele, and in 1955, a baby boy, Kraig Maurice. On a paper written by her, she says, "We are often judged by our greatest achievements, you, Kay and Kraig are mine." At the time she wrote that, she might have never dreamed that she would have 12 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. From 1949 to 1975, she lived and worked in Ogden, UT, Hamilton, MT, Prescott, AZ, and settled in Chino Valley by her 60 acre farm. She worked in secretarial work and she was the head of the personnel section of the forest service. She enjoyed going to Sturgis every summer to help manage the food stand at Glencoe camp ground for the Sturgis bike rally. She especially loved being there with her sister, Janet, and daughter, Kay, and family. That day in the field led her to North Aire Flight School where she started out as the office manager and eventually she owned the School. She did get her pilots license and flew just like she always dreamed. She enjoyed working and retired at the age of 80 years old. Everything she did in her life was to make life better for her posterity. She loved the outdoors. She liked to fly-fish and one of her favorite fishing spots was Swan Valley, ID. She was an avid gardener and liked to take her prize winning produce to the county fair. Her favorite smell was of new cut hay, and got to enjoy this smell her whole life with her son, Kraig, on the farm. She lived a life of such dignity, spunk, and spirit. She left a legacy of optimism and character worthy of us all to follow. She lived with the motto, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain" and from the desk of Jess Ann she wrote. "You can’t control the length of your life, but you can control the width and the depth." Our precious Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Aunt, Friend, and Co-worker will be missed. Services for Jess Ann were held at Hampton Funeral home in Prescott, Arizona. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 5th at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis, SD, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A graveside service will follow on Friday, March 6th at Bear Butte Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. Family and friends may gather at Kinkade Funeral Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery.