Jeanette F. Woodward nee Halleck

July 5, 1931-June 3, 2020 "Life is what you make it and I prefer to make it interesting." (Hopkins High School yearbook-1949) Born the day after the 4th of July 1931-she was her own firecracker. The middle child of Earl D. Halleck(deceased 1983) and Leona M. Hochstedler-(deceased 1995)-much of her early life revolved around the extensive family of Hochstedlers and her eldest bother Earl D. Halleck, Jr. (deceased 1998) and her younger sister Charlotte Bolling nee Halleck-(deceased 2019). Her mother Leona was the baby of 10 children so Jeanette had an ample supply of aunts and uncles through out her life around the Hopkins area. Jeanette spent her summers picking raspberries as a teenager and the highlight of all summers was the Raspberry Parade in Hopkins every summer. She had many girlfriends in High School but hungered for the big world. Leaving home for marriage to James W. VanEpps (deceased 1979) she soon found herself a Marine’s wife and mother at age 20. Living on the East Coast Marine bases, of Virginia and North Carolina-even survived Hurricane Hazel 1952 which demolished the house she and her daughter Lynnette were living in while James was away in Korea. On his return James was stationed in Guam-and her world expanded once again. Leaving Guam and James she settled in San Bruno, California in 1955-going to Secretary school and eventually returning to Hopkins. She divorced, remarried and divorced once again -packed up her old Chevy, daughter and headed for Denver, Colorado where she met the love of her life "Eddy"-Edwin C. Woodward. Edwin was another adventurous soul and the two of them produced a son, Kevin in 1963 who was born during one of there many moves. The couple moved from Denver, to Minnesota, then Arizona, California, back to Colorado. They chose a lakeside home in Hayward, Wisconsin for retirement, but eventually found the winters too difficult and moved to North Carolina. After a few years down south, the Midwest called again and they moved to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, where Edwin lost his battle with Alzheimer’s in 2005. Through all of this Jeanette’s home was always the Twin Cities. She lived in Nokomis Assisted living until her arthritis made her life harder to keep up. She had spent her remaining years at Sholom East-one freeway ramp away from her beloved son Kevin. Jeanette was a very gifted individual. Good with numbers she spent many years working as a bookkeeper. She was an excellent self taught oil painter known for her stunning landscapes. She was an avid reader, loved horror and action movies, loved the outdoors, Terriers, and a good laugh. She spent many hours fishing with Edwin in the Rockies trout fishing or out on the lake in one of Edwin’s numerous boats. Her later years she was blessed with her two grandchildren Kelsea Lynn and Kenneth Lewis Woodward, and enjoyed being an important part of their lives. Jeanette was the last member to depart her large extended family at age 88 and will join her ancestors at Grandview Cemetery in Hopkins at a future date. She leaves behind not only her son Kevin Woodward, her grandchildren Kelsea and Kenneth, her daughter Lynnette Van Epps-Smith but also her nieces and nephews Britta Carter(Bolling), Scott LaBoda, and the Halleck clan, Michael, Terri, Lisa, Bradley, Jason and Matthew. To a live well lived! Jeanette was the last member to depart her large extended family at age 88 and will join her ancestors at Grandview Cemetery in Hopkins at a future date.