Jean DeLynn (White) Jorgensen,83, of Winchester, KS, went to her heavenly home on Thursday, December 4th, 2025, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, KS.
She was born on July 21, 1942, in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of Robert and Grace (Burdick) White. Jean grew up in Denver and graduated from Denver West High School, attended Milton College (Wisconsin), where she was a member of the Sigma Phi Zeta sorority, and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in Sociology. In 1965, she took the trip of a lifetime to Japan and Hong Kong with her two best friends from Milton College. An avid learner, at the age of 55, she graduated with a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Emporia State University (Kansas).
Jean married Milton Jorgensen on Nov. 25th, 1967, in Denver, CO. Their journey together was filled with their faith in God and salvation through Jesus, love for God’s earthly creation, and love for family and friends. They made homes in Denver, Fort Collins, Boulder, Pagosa Springs, and Arvada, Colorado; Beatrice, Nebraska, Leland and Osage, Iowa; Milton and Watertown, Wisconsin and Syracuse, Kansas. In 2004, they made their final home together in Winchester, Kansas. Jean’s love of people and heart for people with disabilities drove her work through various human development service positions. She completed her career working on a vocational rehabilitation research grant at the Lifespan Institute at the University of Kansas.
As a child, Jean belonged to the Denver Seventh Day Baptist (“SDB”) Church. She fell in love with the Milton, Wisconsin, SDB church while attending college there. She was a member of the SDB church in Nortonville, Kansas, until its closing. She served as a board member of the SDB General Council and, in 1982, helped open the newly relocated SDB Center in Janesville, Wisconsin. Most recently, she had come to love the people of the First Baptist Church of McLouth, Kansas, where she worshiped God and shared her love of Jesus for the last ten years.
Early in retirement, Jean worked with the American Red Cross and served on the ground in 2005 with the Hurricane Wilma relief effort in Miami, Florida. During her retirement, she was an instrumental leader helping the community launch the Pantry of Hope and later the Joyful Hearts clothing pantry in Nortonville, Kansas. She spent countless volunteer hours serving those in need. Her life was the embodiment of Matthew 22:39, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Jean's favorite Bible scripture is Romans, Chapter 8.
Jean is survived by her spouse, Milton Jorgensen, and daughter DeLynne Walter, both of Winchester, Kansas, and her son, Lane and wife Debra Jorgensen of San Diego, California and six grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Grace (Burdick) White and her two siblings, Connie and Bob.
A private family burial service will be held at the Nortonville Cemetery. A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date in the Spring. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Pantry of Hope, Nortonville, Kansas, and may be sent in care of the Becker-Dyer-Stanton and O’Trimble Chapel, Nortonville, who is entrusted with her services.
