Ted Jahns
Wilfred Theodore (Ted) Jahns, 88, of Hamilton passed away Sunday, May 9, 2021.
A graveside memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 5, in Immanuel Cemetery in Pottsville.
Ted was born Nov. 12, 1932, to Fred and Emma Wendland Jahns.
Ted’s family moved around quite a bit while he was growing up. They lived in Pottsville, Clifton, Arlington and Grand Prairie.
He enlisted in the United States Air Force when he was 18 years old. He wanted to see the world but instead spent his four years on active duty in Texas.
In 1954 he married Barbara Roper and they made their home in Arlington. He joined the Air Force Reserve and during his 21 years in the Reserves he traveled quite a bit. He loved flying and had his private pilot license and spent as much time as he could in the air.
He went to work for the Air Reserve Transport Program as an aircraft mechanic. They flew C-119 cargo planes all over the U.S. participating in training exercises, dropping troops and equipment. Ted thought he had the absolute perfect job; he was getting to fly all the time, seeing a lot of the country, working with a great bunch of guys and loving every minute of it.
After that job ended, he went to work for the Civil Service as a Quality Control Inspector at General Dynamics inspecting F-111’s. During the time Ted was at General Dynamics, he and Barbara fulfilled a dream of raising their daughters in the country and bought some acreage in Weatherford then built a house. Now their girls got their horses, Barbara had her garden and Ted designed a runway for the plane he hoped to buy.
He was active in the Lutheran church in Weatherford, teaching Sunday School, working with the youth group and as an Elder. Life was good.
Then the F-111 contract ended, and Ted started work at Boeing Aircraft as Quality Control Inspector for the Air Force. While at Boeing he worked on various programs.
In Seattle, he became interested in boating. That held many adventures, wonderful times on the water and he met many great people.
While in Seattle, Ted was again quite active in service at St. Luke Lutheran Church.
He retired from Civil Service in June 1991 and spent most of the next year helping to renovate St. Luke Lutheran Church.
A few years later Ted and Barbara moved back to Hamilton to be closer to family. Here Ted loved working in his yard and helping any of the neighbors with their yards or anything else they needed. He was active at St. John Lutheran Church in Hamilton and he could often be found up there working on something in the buildings or yard, whatever needed attention.
Then he developed Parkinson’s Disease and had to give up all the activities he loved so much. The past year he has lived at Focused Care of Hamilton.
Ted is preceded in death by his parents, brother Leo Jahns and grandson Daniel (Rusty) Richardson.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughters Carol Richardson and husband Daniel of Maple Falls, Washington, and Debra Jahns and husband Byron Stephens of Vero Beach, Florida; sisters Irene Zaruba and husband John, Margaret Kohler and husband Elton, Diane Brown and husband Stanley; brother Charles Janhs; grandsons Dustin Richardson and Robert Stephens and wife Kristina; granddaughter Kristin Esskew and husband Terry; nine great grandchildren; Caylee Richardson, Morgan Richardson, Nathan Esskew, Timothy Esskew, Karenna Esskew, Bryann Stephens, Jack Stephens, Kaia Stephens and Brian Stephens; and numerous other family and friends.
