Alice Jean Etta Short King

Alice Jean Etta Short was born April 7, 1925 to Thomas Amon and Willetta Short in Rochester, Texas. Her father was a band director, and music was a vital part of her upbringing. She played both the cornet and the trumpet and entered many competitions. At the age of 9, she won first place in the South Division music contest in West Texas. Graduating from Mathis High School at age 16 in 1941, she joined musical friends for a long concert tour to several states. Jean Etta, as her family called her, changed her name to Jean as an adult. During the war she worked as a secretary between two Army Air Corps bases: Aloe Army Airfield and Foster Army Airfield. That was a wonderful memory for her because she loved to dance. Jean went to college at the University of Texas where she met and married another musician, Melvin King. Mel played the trombone and the baritone horn. They were married January 26, 1947 and both completed their BA in music a few months later. Mel and Jean had four daughters, Thalia Freamon, Andrea Flores, Docia McMenamy, Sonja King, and ten grandchildren. In 1960 the family moved to Seattle, Washington, where Jean completed her Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology, working as a sixth grade teacher, and later as a high school guidance counselor. Jean was a fearless decorator, and even had a swing in her living room. The grandkids loved to go to the big house in Shoreline, Washington for many memorable afternoons and holiday celebrations. Mel died in 2006 and Jean moved back to Texas, living for a few years with Docia and Dennis McMenamy in Groesbeck, Texas. She had Alzheimer's, and as the disease progressed, she moved into the Windsor Healthcare Residence where she received wonderful care until her death on February 16, 2016 at the age of 90. People remember Jean for her beautiful singing voice, for her great love of her extended family, and for her excitement about new adventures. “Goodbye Granny “