Jacquelyn Kaye Rearden's Obituary
My Mom left us the evening of October 26, 2020. She was 72. She ensured her family was safe and well taken care of before she chose to be embraced by Jesus and connect again with her loving parents and brother whom she was missing dearly. Her birth name was Jacquelyn Kaye Chew but friends and family know her as Jackie. She was born in Knoxville, TN but her roots ran deep when they moved to Wichita, Kansas. She spent her formidable years forming tight relationships with her family and friends. She had a special relationship with her brother Tommy, and close endearing relationships with her older sister Darlene and younger sister Lora. She treasured her Dad James Chew and Mom, Thelma Chew. She met Connie Stevens in 2nd grade and maintained a close relationship with her.
Family and friends will remember my Mom for her many gifts. She was an excellent seamstress and sewed all my party dresses and basically remade my wedding dress. She cut hair and now has left many of us with straggly hair and in need of finding a hairdresser. She was the craftiest person I knew and thankfully many will have the treasurers she created because she often gave them as gifts. She loved her cats. I remember every one of them and all of them held a place on a pedestal in her home. She loved my Dad and embraced the 53 years they spent married. She loved antiquing from the East Coast to the West. Her house could be a shop in itself. She adored her family and talked about them and with them nearly everyday. Her friends all became like family. She cared for them deeply and would do nearly anything for them. She talked to me often about how proud she was of her own kids, my brother and I. She loved us so much and our pain was hers just as our happiness and success were hers as well. She loved with all her heart her grandchildren. She wanted to be a part of everything they did. She was so happy to have two granddaughters and two grandsons to spoil. If she could have lived 50 more years it would have been for them.
My Mom was born to serve. She ran a home daycare business for 30 years and embraced all the children as her own. Her dream was to be a Mom and she out did herself there by impacting the lives of so many children. She made a home for these kids and it did not feel like a daycare facility in any way. Later on she participated in the local senior group “Forever Young”. She worked on many of the projects they volunteers for. She was a proud member of the Little Church on the Prairie and was so happy to find a Church family she connected with.
She had a full life filled with the love of family and friends. She held her relationships tight and treasured them. She taught us all how to be a good friend. We will miss her tremendously. She is survived by her loving husband Donald Rearden, Her children Daniel Rearden and Kimber Towle (Patrick). Her grandchildren Connor Towle, Kellen Towle, Maggie Rearden and Fiona Rearden. Her sisters Darlene Allen (Michael), Lora Stevens (Gordon Jr.), Preceded by her brother Tommy Chew but survived by his wife Patsy Chew, nieces and nephews Julie (Gary), Nacy (Jay), Mike (Melissa), Megan (Scott), Pheobe (Charles), Tim (Casie Harbin),Gordon, Jenna (Buddy), great grand nieces and nephews, Samantha, Robert, Travis, Gage, Chad, Courtney, Trever, Hunter, and Nike and her best friends Connie Stevens, Sylvia Anderson, and Janie Polmeteer.
A Memorial Service will not be held at this time due to Covid-19 concerns and restrictions. A special thanks to the staff at St. Peter’s Hospital for taking such good care of my Mom for the couple of weeks she spent in their care. She maintained her positive attitude and hopeful heart which is a direct reflection of the kind and knowledgeable
medical team that tended to her. She is sure to live on in all of our memories and continue to have a positive impact on our lives always.
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