Jeannette Mae Cotton Parsons was born January 23, 1928 in Vermillion, SD to Alonzo A. and Hazel (MacDonald) Cotton. The fourth of five children, her siblings were Con, Carol Anderson, Marilyn Horst and Lon. She married William H. Parsons and they had two daughters, Sarah and Rebecca. Bill died early and Jeannette raised her daughters, worked and spent time traveling and visiting family and fiends as well as interesting places. She enjoyed new experiences and had a sense of humor. She lived in California for most of her adult life.

She moved briefly to Colorado, before living at first the Lodge and then the Extended Care, where she lived her last years in good company with loving care from staff, her family and visiting family.

She is survived by her sister, grandchildren, Kian Gaskin, Ariana Gaskin, Naomi Levinthal and Ivor Levinthal.