Jean Toepfer

When you meet Jean Toepfer, you quickly sense that she is a positive, determined person with a keen sense of humour. She is a person who enjoys a bit of banter and a laugh. She is a spirited, independent-minded person, still prepared to have a go. These personality traits or arguably qualities are despite some family hardships and personal losses. Some of these hardships include Jean’s father, Bill, dying when she was six years old, forcing her mother to become the sole bread winner and to raise eight children, (one daughter, Grace, died at 13 months). Bill died in 1934 during the height of the Depression years, a time that was a struggle for many people. Jean has also had her own personal losses with a house fire and a marriage break-down. She also recently lost a beloved grandson in tragic circumstances where her grandson died a hero, giving his life to save another.