Colleen Jerome

Loretta Colleen Dimmitt Jerome was born in Everton Missouri, on March 1, 1928 to Delbert Loy and Eva Golden (Mallory) Dimmitt.  She barely missed being a Leap Year Baby by less than an hour. 

She always spoke of what a good childhood she had. She talked about how much she was doted on. She spent a lot of time with her cherished Granny Dimmitt at her house. There her aunt, uncles and their wives spoiled her. 

During her young years she played sports and spent time helping her mother with her younger siblings.  Her high school years in Everton found her tight knit with her classmates.  Her graduating class was made up of six boys and six girls.  They played sports, walked the back roads to the river and each other’s houses.  One of the gang had an old Model A; they would all pile in and takeoff.  One night for something to do they drove around and around the bandstand in Everton until one of the wheels literally fell of the car.  

Colleen worked as a soda jerk in the local drug atore and collected taxes for the county after graduating from high school in 1946.

William Edward Jerome returned home to Everton from the Philippines after his service in WWII.  He and Colleen started dating and they were married on May 16 1947 in Thayer, Missouri and honeymooned in Louisiana.  

To this union was born four children within the next five years. Colleen was a wonderful mother: she cared for FOUR in diapers, FOUR starting to school, FOUR graduating, FOUR getting married and FOUR starting families; these events occurring within five years of each other.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; daughter, Carol; great- granddaughter Jessica; brother, John Dimmitt; sister, Betty Shaw; and parents Delbert and Golden Dimmitt.

She is survived by sons: Estel Jerome and wife, Jan, of Granby, Missouri; Frank and wife, Becky, of Everton, Missouri; daughter, Debra Noyes and husband, Rex, of Springfield, Missouri; two sisters: Myrna Kessler of Newton, Kansas; and Sue Taylor and husband, Mike of Blue Springs, Missouri; 13 nieces and nephews;  11 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; 23 great, great-grandchildren.

She died peacefully at the age of 97 in her home of 57 years after a long battle with dementia.

She left this world surrounded by the loving family that she cherished.

Visitation is 10 a.m. until service time, Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Wilson-Griffin Funeral Home, Ash Grove. Funeral services begins at 11 a.m., at the funeral home, with burial to follow at Sinking Creek Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to Sinking Creek Cemetery and may be left with the funeral home.