Jeanne Elizabeth Turner Wilbern, 97, of Heron Cove, Gloucester, died peacefully on Sept. 21, 2016.

She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 11, 1919 to John Charles Turner and Nellie Young Turner.

After a childhood in Menominee on the waters of Green Bay, Michigan, with two brothers, she earned an R.N. degree at the University of Minnesota, where she met John (Jack) Parker Wilbern, also a student at “The U.”

Jeanne and Jack married in 1941, beginning a life’s career in the U.S. Marine Corps (23 years), packing and unpacking for tours, and having children, in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (Parker); Tsingtao, China (Sue); San Diego (Laurie). They served several tours in Washington, D.C., and Jack in Japan, without family.

Jeanne retired from her nursing career as a Medical Liaison Officer for the Peace Corps, serving Western African countries and Thailand. The Wilberns lived in McLean after Marine Corps retirement.

She had a wonderful sense of humor, self-confidence, sunny outlook through all, and buckets of talent: a master upholsterer, seamstress, cook; she was a painter, studying at The Corcoran Gallery of Art on each D.C. tour. Jeanne loved golf, bridge, crosswords, a newspaper, a library, living in China before Mao Tse-tung, her bourbon, each of her dogs.

She was predeceased by her husband and their daughter Laurie. Her survivors include son John Parker Wilbern Jr. of Burkeville, daughter Sue Wilbern Keys (Mike) of Hallie-ford, nieces and nephews, and lovely friends, especially at Sanders Assisted Living and Heron Cove.

Donations would be appreciated to Mathews Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 1130, Mathews, Va. 23109 or Animal Resource Foundation (its Spay/Neuter program), P.O. Box 967, White Marsh, Va. 23183.

Andrews Funeral Home, Gloucester, was in charge of arrangements.