Jean Mecke Vaughan
Jean (Mecke) Vaughan, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend entered heaven and the presence of her God and Savior, Jesus Christ, at 91 years old on January 13, 2025. She was surrounded by friends and family at her bedside. Although she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer 15 ½ years ago, God preserved her life and she remained loving, kind, gracious, grateful, and compassionate until her death. Jean’s mind remained sharp until her death, and her love for Jesus Christ never wavered.
Jean was born December 26, 1933 to Esther May Holt in Arkansas. She loved to share stories about growing up on her grandparent’s farm with her aunts and uncles. In elementary school, Jean and mother moved to New Jersey where they later welcomed a sister, Carmen Mecke (who preceded her in death) and a brother, Douglas Mecke who currently resides in Vineland, New Jersey. Jean lived through much history and remembered, when very young, the children knitting squares of yarn to make blankets for the soldiers during WWII. She also remembered her love of playing field hockey. When she was in her early twenties, she began attending church with three sisters she knew from high school. It was there that she trusted in Jesus Christ who died for her sin and rose to give her forgiveness and eternal life, which produced a life that desired to please God. Later, she worked hard and paid her way to attend Barrington College in Rhode Island. She also saved enough money to put a down payment on a house for her mother.
During college, she met two friends who all decided to move to California to help another friend and she ended up living in Long Beach, CA. While attending a church retreat, she met her husband, Glenn Irvin Vaughan, from Pulaski, VA. He was the son of Columbus and Essie Maude (Hall) Vaughan. He was the love of her life, they married November 5, 1966 and lived in La Crescenta, CA for 56 years. He preceded her in death in 1991.
Jean and Glenn had three children: Craig Bradley Vaughan, Sharon Pamela (Vaughan) Beck, and Patricia Carol (Vaughan) Newton. Jean enjoyed raising her children and getting to know the families in the neighborhood and at Grace Community Church, Sun Valley. She, also, loved being a grandmother to her seven granddaughters: Cambria Joy Beck, Aubrey Charis Beck, Brenna Jane Beck, Bella Mercy Beck, Ellie Grace Mae (Newton) Henriksen, Bethany Hope Newton, and Brooke Joy Newton. She was their constant “cheerleader,” encouraging them in their various pursuits and in life. Jean also enjoyed traveling with her children and grandchildren on family vacations, and, particularly, loved the outdoors, flowers, and animals, especially, when given to her by her grandchildren. She was truly a great friend to her grandchildren.
Surely, God’s “goodness and mercy followed [her] all the days of [her] life” (Psa. 23) and now she is in the presence of her Lord who paid for her sin at the cross and rose from the grave for her life, and Whom she trusted, loved, and is now with waiting for the resurrection (1 Cor. 15).
A private Memorial service was held in Clovis, CA at the home of her daughter and son-in-law. Graveside service will be in Snowville, VA 1/27/2025 at 1:00PM.
