(Jan. 6, 2006)
Services are pending for Anna Jane Dunn, 80, formerly of Powell, who died Jan. 6, 2006, at her daughter's home in Pullman, Wash.
She was born June 15, 1925, in Dagus Mines, Pa., to Wallace and Elizabeth Gschwendtner Hawkins. She was the oldest of three children. She attended school in Kersey, Pa., and after graduating from high school in 1943, she attended Pennsylvania State University and obtained her master's degree in 1946 to teach high school business. After graduating from college, she taught high school business at Warren High School in Warren, Pa. She also worked for Sylvania Electric and IBM during summers. After a trip west with her mother and father in the mid-1950s, she fell in love with Yellowstone National Park and applied for a summer job.
The summer of 1958, she worked as the cashier at Lake Hotel. During that summer, she met William H. (Bill) Dunn, who drove a boat for Husky Oil on Lake Yellowstone. She returned to Yellowstone Park to work during the summer of 1959 and was engaged to William H. Dunn. They were married on June 11, 1960, in the Methodist Chapel in Warren, Pa., and made their home in Cody.
She worked as a substitute teacher, high school business teacher, teachers' aide and elementary school librarian for the Cody school district from 1960 until 1983. In 1983, she moved to Cheyenne and substituted in the Cheyenne schools. After her husband retired in 1984, they moved to Powell. While in Powell, she taught business classes at Northwest College. When she retired in 1987, they spent summers in Crandall and winters in Rockport, Texas. In 1989, she and Bill returned to their house in Cody where they remained until September 2005.
After Bill died, Anna Jane joined her daughter, Leah Johnson, and her family in Pullman, Washington. She enjoyed reading, tatting, cross-stitch, crocheting, knitting and spending time with her family. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, the American Association of University Women and was active in church groups. She was an excellent teacher and, although she was demanding of her students, many of them later told her how much they learned from her and appreciated her. She believed everyone should obtain an education and devoted most of her life to that belief.
Although she had many medical challenges in her life, she always rose up to the challenge and lived life to its fullest. Most of all, she loved her family and friends. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
She is survived by her daughter, Leah (Jim) Johnson; her brother, Clark Hawkins of Gilbert, Ariz.; and granddaughters, Samantha and Elizabeth Johnson of Pullman, Wash.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Wallace and Elizabeth Hawkins; husband, Bill Dunn; and brother, Robert Hawkins.
Cremation has taken place.