Wilma “Jean” Shafer Halbert, age 87, died at Homeplace Special Care Center, Oak Harbor on April 26, 2007. She was born May 13, 1919 in Tulia, Texas to Herbert L. and Nora (Lankford) Shafer.
Jean was raised in Tulia. After graduating from high school she attended West Texas State College. After receiving her two-year degree, she began teaching school. While at West Texas, she fell in love with a young college student, Charles P. Halbert. They were married on April 25, 1942. During the war, she worked at the Boeing Airplane plant in Wichita, Kan. Their daughter Sherry was born there. They relocated to Bartlesville, Okla., where their son Charles was born.
Charles began pursuing his professional basketball career and he and Jean moved around the country. They finished their bachelor’s degrees during summer sessions. They lived in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Alexandria, Va. Texas again became home before they moved on to Moses Lake.
Jean returned to teaching and then worked as a secretary to a school principal and then served as a counselor at a junior high school. The Halbert family moved to the Tri-Cities area, where Jean worked for an alternative high school program. The family lived in Moses Lake, Spokane and in 1967, the Tri-Cities became home.
She was hired as supervisor of student teachers for Eastern Washington University and found passion in that position until her retirement in 1982. They traveled to Whidbey several times and, in 2001, Coupeville became their permanent home. She moved to Homeplace in 2002. Early in life, Jean had promised to join Jesus and, one day after celebrating her 65th wedding anniversary, she honored that promise.
Jean was an avid golfer and a long-time member of the Kennewick Golf and Country Club. She played in many tournaments, including the Grandmother’s Tournament. She loved being a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Jean Halbert is survived by her husband Charles of Coupeville; daughter Sherry Asmus and husband Tom of Coupeville; daughter-in-law Donna Butler of Gig Harbor; seven grandchildren, Dana Chambers, Tanya Stribling, Eric Asmus, Susan Mays, Chad Asmus, Chip and Jeremy Halbert; and 10 great-grandchildren, Ashleigh, Kaitlin, Nicholas and Madeline Chambers, Bella, Fletcher and Sophia Stribling and Chase, Chloe, and Charley Halbert. Their son Charles “Charlie” Halbert preceded her in death.
Graveside funeral services for Jean Halbert were held April 30 at Sunnyside Cemetery, Coupeville, with Dennis Trout officiating. A memorial service will follow at First Presbyterian Church of Kennewick on Monday, May 21, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Kennewick or the Oak Harbor Senior Center Foundation. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.
