Mesquite Woman Celebrates 99 Years Of Life

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

The Mesquite Women’s History and Cultural Center (WHCC)hosted a surprise 99-year birthday celebration of Mesquite resident Jean Wise on Friday, Sept. 17.

Wise is currently a resident of Mesa Valley Estates. The Mesa Valley Estates bus transported her and a group of her Estate neighbors over to the WHCC location at the Jimmie Hughes Campus for their monthly Fun Group gathering.

More of Wise friends were also waiting at the center with a birthday cake, ice cream and decorated tables for the unsuspecting Wise to arrive.

Upon arrival, Wise seemed genuinely surprised and moved that the party was all for her.
Mesquite Mayor Al Litman was there to present Wise a certificate from the city congratulating her. Merriment, cards, and gifts were given by her friends. Wise stood and emotionally told everyone how pleased she was for the recognition and thanked them all.

She also imparted some words of wisdom for a long life which included “Eat properly and do not drink much alcohol.”
“Each person makes their own happiness,” Wise added.

WHCC founded Jean Watkins said, “Our doors are always open to groups like this that need a meeting place. This is part of what we are all about.”

Wise was born a twin on September 17, 1922, in Harden Montana, just outside the Crow Indian Reservation. Her father was the county assessor at the time.

She was raised on a dairy farm, where she learned to milk cows. Her twin died of illness in 1986. Wise and her twin went to Billings Montana to a catholic nursing school.
“It was a very strict nursing school,” Wise recalled. “I don’t know how we survived, but we did.”

Wise graduated from the school in 1944 with plans to join the Navy. Her U.S. Air Force boyfriend was in China during the war. At the time of her graduation, he called and said, “I am in New York do not join the Navy, we are getting married.”

Wise and her husband lived in Billings, Montana, where she worked as a surgical nurse until their two children were both off to college.

In the early 1960’s the couple moved to the Australian outback and started a Brahma cattle ranch, or “station” as they are called in Australia, on homesteaded land. They were in Aboriginal country. The hired ranch hands were Aboriginal people and Wise said they were exceptionally good at ranching. They built their own home and she cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all the ranch hands on a wood stove. They eventually owned five stations.

Eventually, they sold their stations and moved back to Billings for a short while, then to Las Vegas and finally to Mesquite. Her husband died eleven years ago at 90 years of age. Wise sold their home at that time and moved to St George. Then Mesa Valley Estates opened here in Mesquite and she happily moved back home.