Jennie Maes, of Brighton, passed away in the comfort of her own home on February 19, 2021, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born in Brighton on January 9, 1936 to Adolph and Epiemena Ortega.
She attended school in Brighton and worked as a waitress and had two children. She later met the love of her life William Paul Maes in 1961 and they married on October 7, 1961. They had three children together and William accepted her two older children as his own. On September 16, 1969, William was in a car accident and passed away. This devastated Jennie but she vowed to carry on and raise her five boys. She later had a daughter in 1973.
Jennie worked as a housekeeper at Brighton Care Center from 1990 - 2010. She enjoyed working there and the highlight of her day was getting to interact with the residents each day.
She enjoyed spending time with her family and grandchildren. Despite the loss of her two oldest children, she kept moving on. She loved listening to music; Freddy Fender and Willie Nelson were two of her favorites. She also loved to dance and cook.
She had a big heart and would help out anyone in need. She loved life and loved to laugh and will always be remembered for her silly personality. She left us with many wonderful memories which we will cherish for years to come.
She is survived by her sisters, Viola Coffman and Frances Hunter; three sons, Dennis, Daniel, and Chris Maes; and daughter Juanita Maes; along with eight grandchildren: Tanya, Julianna, Christina, Ezekiel, and Jessica Ortega, Sierra Maes, and Tryston and Lexsi Smith; and numerous great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by both her parents; her husband, William Maes; two sons, Ronnie and Julian Ortega; and three brothers, Ray, Junior, and Mike Ortega.
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