The Original Jean

This weekend trucks will file down the gravel lane of the Shafer Homestead 

and we’ll celebrate 81 incredible years with our dear Jean. 

Jean was a beautiful blonde in 1948 when she graduated from Hagerstown High School. 

And she’s still a beautiful blonde in 2011 with 17 grandkids and 9 great grandkids.

Jean is the kind of lady who gave birth, then was out in the barn milking the Holsteins the very next day. 

Jean is the kind of lady who got kicked by a cow, then went to the house and tied a cutting board to her arm with a dish towel - so she could finish the evening chores with a broken arm. 

Jean is the kind of mother who made her children put all of their trophies in the trunk of the car, so people at the county fair didn't think they were bragging. 

Jean is the kind of lady who grabs your thigh during church to keep you quiet when you realize the Kleenex she gave you is not only 3 years used, but also has a peppermint stuck in the middle of it. 

Jean is the kind of Grandma who gives you pizza and Mt. Dew for breakfast then makes you pinkie swear you won’t tell your mother. 

Jean is the kind of Grandma who made us lay in the back seat of the Cadillac covered in a blanket in the middle of July just so she could get $2 off her general admission at the 

Preble County Fair. 

Jean is the kind of Grandma who never misses a graduation, t-ball season finale, bridal shower and perhaps most importantly, a steer show. It’s genetic. 

Jean is the kind of lady who may have a hard time telling you she is proud of you, but the glow around her pretty well gives it away. 

Happy 81st Birthday, Martha Jean (Moyer) Shafer, The Original Jean. 

And the only woman I know who can make 15 quarter-pounders from 1lb of beef.