Dorothy Jean “Jeanne” Pentecost Echols of Hermiston died on Nov. 16, 2023 in Hermiston at the age of 96.
She was born on Jan. 23, 1927 in Lincoln, Neb. to Roy Pentecost and Evelyn Mehlig Pentecost.
As an infant, Jeanne moved with her family to Orange County, Calif., where she was raised and attended school. She was interested in the arts, sang in school and in church, and played the piano and the violin. She was also an artist – she showed her paintings at art shows and gave away many of her paintings. Her passion was sewing and she started sewing clothes at the age of 12. After graduation she married Herald Echols, who she met at church at the age of 3. They married on May 20, 1945 in Santa Ana, Calif. Jeanne worked to support her young family while Herald attended college.
Jeanne used her sewing talent to make quilts and clothing for missions. She led women’s ministries wherever she lived as an Army officer’s wife and was awarded a lay minister certificate from the Methodist church. She filled the pulpit at Heppner, Arlington and Pendleton for the Methodist church. She visited all 50 states and lived in Germany and Hawaii.
She moved to Hermiston when Herald served as commander of the Umatilla Army Depot. Jeanne’s last years were spent at Sun Terrace, where she continued to make quilts for babies at Good Shepherd and hats for school kids at the age of 96. She is survived by her children, Kurt of Anchorage, Alaska, Mark of Port St. Lucie, Fla., Jennifer of Oceanside, Calif. and Scot of Hermiston; 18 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Jeanne was preceded in death by Herald, her husband of 75 years; her eldest daughter, Kristin; and her parents and siblings.
A celebration of life service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023 at the Hermiston Nazarene Church. A private graveside service will be held for the friends and family at Willamette National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Jeanne’s memory to the Oregon Food Bank. Please share memories of Jeanne with her family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of the arrangements.
