Jacqueline Dolores Routh flew to Heaven on the wings of eagles in the early morning hours on January 19, 2017, at the Davis Hospice Center. Her daughter Jeanne held her hand as she slipped peacefully away.

Jacqueline was born on May 27, 1926, in Buffalo, New York. Her parents, Paul Carlberg and Emily Low Water Carlberg, died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her brother, Paul Jr., orphans. She was raised in foster care until she graduated from high school. From her sad childhood experiences she acquired a fierce resilience and idealistic nature which carried her through her long life.

As a young woman, Jacqueline acquired the first of her several jobs at Macy’s Department Store in New York where she served as a millinery clerk. Her happiest memory during that time was when she sold a pair of leather gloves to Hattie McDaniel, the actress who played “Mammy” in the movie “Gone With The Wind.”
She absolutely adored and idolized her older brother Paul Jr., “Juney”, who lied about his age and joined the Navy at the age of 16. Juney was her hero, having been aboard the “Tennessee” during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a ‘boiler room man’ his hands were burned when a torpedo hit the ship.

She moved to Torrence, California, and worked the night shift as a switchboard operator at “Little Company of Mary Hospital.” She and her husband, Ray, would later pack up their family and set off to Casper, Wyoming. She thought California was “a jungle”, so she drove a car full of children, and he drove a flatbed truck loaded with California logs to build her a home by the mountain. Her children have a fond memory of her looking out the window as they were driving through the Wyoming prairie. She exclaimed, “Look! Buffalo!” as she pointed at some black Angus cattle grazing in the grass. She was truly a city girl.

Her beautiful log home Ray built for her was warm and ‘country’. Christmas and birthdays were extra special, making childhood memories that will never be forgotten. She lovingly sewed countless dresses, read hundreds of books, sang with a sweet voice and danced playfully with her children. She shared a love for animals with them and their home was a menagerie. She shed many tears over little lost lambs and injured horses, and even tried to incubate the chick and duck eggs found alone in wood piles and tall grass. Many baby chicks and ducklings owed their lives to her. She was wonderful.

Jacqueline is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Juney; infant brother, James; her grandson, Michael Priest; and her first husband, Duane Osburn. She is survived by her daughters, Theresa, Catherine, Jeanne, Merry Ann, Jacque and Tillie; her sons, Duane and Raymond Jr., 18 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by her beloved husband Raymond and they were married for 53 years. Their endearing pet name for one another was “Doll”, and the sound of his voice in her ear was the only voice she responded to at the end of her life. The two of them were a team in the care of their special needs son, Raymond, who was the light of her life. Jacqueline fought relentlessly through pain, the loss of her memories and what seemed impossible poor health to be here for ‘her little boy’.

The family wishes to thank Evan at Granite Rehab and Wellness for his commitment to her care and comfort during her two years there. She called him her ‘Knight in Shining Armor’. Thank you to the emergency room care providers and the nurses on the 7th floor of UMC. Thank you too to Justin Salas, her grandson-in-law who sat with her and gave her love and comfort as she lay sleeping at UMC. Last but not least, thank you to Davis Hospice Center for the gentle, loving and compassionate care of Jacqueline. Her last days were beautiful because of them.

Private family services will be held on January 23, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. at the Lakeview Chapel at Schrader, Aragon and Jaocby Funeral Home. Father Michael Carr will officiate. Her pallbearers will be Justin Salas, Duane Osburn, Daniel Poelma, Dan McCrackin, John Oakes, Joel Jackson and Sean McGee.

Instead of flowers, the family would ask that you make a donation to Meals-on-Wheels or the Davis Hospice Center.

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