Jeanne Clare Esp Lombardy

Jeanne Clare Esp Lombardy

Another soul from “The Greatest Generation” entered into eternal life on June 17, 2021. Ours that we called Jeannie, Madje, Mother died of natural causes at the age of 97.

Jeanne Clare Esp Lombardy was born on Sept. 23, 1923, to Tilmer Esp and Clara Egeland Esp in Big Timber. Her growing-up years included time in Big Timber; Owatonna, Minnesota; and Billings. Jeanne’s graduating class of 1941 was the first to graduate from the newly-built Billings Senior High School.

She attended St. Olaf College and Montana State University, beginning her work as a draftsman for Boeing in Seattle, where she met and married Raymond J. Lombardy. The Lombardys moved back to Billings, where they owned and operated Ray’s Grocery. Three daughters were born. As Jeanne was an only child, she wanted children so she could have someone to play with. As her daughters attest, she was a great playmate, playing card games, “hide the thimble,” Yahtzee and Scrabble. As Barbara states, “Mother was a verbivore. She loved the written word and loved books.” In the last several years of her life, she kept her mind busy compiling a list of 10-letter words, “jackassery” being among them.

Mother’s love for her children and her husband typified what “The Greatest Generation” exemplified, and that was servanthood and sacrifice. She gave her children a smorgasbord of activities and life experiences. Her love of music was passed down to her children. On Saturdays, she would have the Texaco live radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera permeating through the house. She herself was a pianist and was her oldest daughter’s first piano teacher. Even at Tendernest, where she lived her last years, one of the criteria for moving there was she had to have room for her piano that she had had since she was 10 years old. Up until a year and a half ago, she serenaded the residents with her playing. Her husband suffered a massive stroke when she was 45 years old and she raised three teenage girls by herself. She dedicated daily physical therapy for eight years to our father’s paralyzed limbs and, due to her diligence, he had no contractions.

Being a full-blooded Norwegian, she loved her Norwegian heritage and, if those folks she met along the way of life happened to be Norwegian, they were her immediate friends. At the age of 58, she took Norwegian at Eastern Montana College and went to Norway for six weeks to study Norwegian.

Jeanne was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Sons of Norway, Toastmaster’s and season ticket holder of the Billings Symphony.

She is survived by her daughters, Lisa Lombardy, Barbara Lombardy, Sonja (Bruce) Drinkwalter; grandchildren Ben (Mayu) Drinkwalter, Adam Drinkwalter, Caleb Drinkwalter, Daniel Drinkwalter, Hannah Drinkwalter; and great-grandchildren, Jayden and Sophia Drinkwalter.

Preceding her in death are her husband, Ray; mother Clara; and father Tilmer.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the caregivers at Tendernest and Stillwater Hospice who loved our mother and took good care of her.

A private family memorial service is planned at a later date. Honorariums in honor of Jeanne may be sent to Montana Rescue Mission, Billings Symphony or charity of one’s choice.

Well done, good and faithful servant. Rest in peace, our Jeannie.