Cletus Lucille Jett Obituary (1914

Cletus Lucille [Youngblood] Jett was born on July 26th, 1914, the third of six children, in Granby, Missouri to Walter and Elizabeth Youngblood. She was predeceased by her brothers and sisters, June Gust, Grace Lambert, Van Youngblood, Pierce Youngblood and Wilma Russell. Cletus graduated from Granby High School hoping to train to become a teacher but life had other plans. At her brother's recommendation, she began corresponding with a young man in Washington. Their correspondence evolved into romance so Benjamin Carlisle Jett pawned his rifle and traveled to Missouri in 1935 to marry Cletus on April 17. Cletus and Lisle lived in Cowiche Canyon on a cherry orchard until 1943 when they moved to Naches Heights to farm apples, cherries and pears. She engaged in what people now call sustainable farming, kept a beautifully landscaped garden featuring her favorite flower, the rose, and raised four children. She was active in Naches Heights affairs as a Camp Fire Girls leader for ten years, president of the Highland PTA for two years, and was president of the Naches Heights Woman's Club, the Garden Club and Grange Auxiliary. Cletus was also a charter member of Washington Women for Survival of Agriculture, a Red Cross volunteer, and a life member of the Yakima Area Arboretum. Cletus was an active member of the First Christian Church as president of Women's Fellowship and later the Congregational Christian Church where she was an elder, deacon, and on the Board of Trustees. She and her husband, Lisle, started a group for church seniors called Keenagers. Keenager luncheons often featured one of her specialties, Missouri cornbread. In 2001 she transferred to Englewood Christian Church. Upon retirement, Cletus and Lisle enjoyed travelling on safari to Africa and places throughout Europe. After Lisle passed, she continued travel with her sisters and friends. When she was 90, she left her garden of more than 100 roses to live at Englewood Heights Senior Living Community where she passed away on July 10. She is survived by her children, Mary Regina Jett, David Carlisle Jett, Ethel Bernice Giard, and Joyce Marie Ali, National Grange exchange student "son" Bernard Scharf, and eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Viewing is from 3-7 p.m. on July 18 at Shaw and Sons Funeral Home. The service will be held at Englewood Christian Church at 10 a.m. on July 19 followed by internment at Terrace Heights Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Yakima Area Arboretum (509) 248-7337, http://www.ahtrees.org/index.html,