Mollie Stanton

I remember Jean Gibney from Barnum.   A group of us used to walk home together frequently- if no rides.   She was the historian of the group, was probably in Mr. Byrd's 8th grade history class, and was an early, dedicated Civil War buff.  She was friendly, very smart--she struck me as an intellectual--and a very giving person.  One day she started talking about a song she had learned in French class.   Another in the group joined with her as they sang it--The Singing Nun ( Dominique.)  I was very interested in learning it, and she taught it to me. That simple sharing turned out to be the start of my lifelong love of French.  She had a quirky,ready sense of humor, and was a highly independent person with high ideals, even then.  I'll always remember her in a long trench coat, turning resolutely with big strides towards her street, raising her arm in an L-shaped wave, like a salute, without looking back.

Rodman Keys

I too knew Jean at Barnum and then Seaholm.  Sr. year, Jean had a folksy girl's singing group she called "Griff's Rainbow Garden Intesified Tide Rolling Band and Firends."  Griff turned out to be a toad she found in her yard and kept in a cardboard box.  Jean asked me to play bass with her group which meant electric or a washtub depending on the music she called for.  One ttime we performed in the little theater, although I can't remeber what the ocasion was.  Soon I added a few friends with electric instrumnets to the band and we did a few gigs at the teen center and freshman year in college, a few jobs in Ypsi / Ann Arbor .  I even took Jean out on a couple dates.  Jean went to U of M while I was at Eastern.  Yes, Jean was an intelectual all right and she was selfless, fun and cool.  She wrote a few tunes for the band that I thought showed some musical talent.  Life moved on and I lost track of Jean.  It's really sad to hear that she's gone.