Jean Ann Confer was born September 29, 1959, in Oberlin Kansas, to Daniel J. and Cecil M. Hess, the first of their three children. She was lovingly surrounded by her husband and two daughters when she passed away peacefully after a courageous five and a half-year battle with breast cancer, at the age of 63.
Jean Ann attended school at Oberlin and graduated with the class of 1977. She then went on to obtain her bachelors degree in Music Education from Fort Hays State University. After graduation, she accepted a teaching position at the St. Francis Grade School in 1982 as a Kindergarten through sixth grade music teacher where she taught for 40 years.
On June 14, 1986, Jean Ann married the love of her life, Steve Confer, at the United Methodist Church in Oberlin, KS. Jean Ann and Steve were blessed with two daughters - Jenna Rose Confer, 1999 and Jessica Dawn Confer, 2000. She was a devoted mother and they were the love of her life.
But what a life, dedicated to her family – husband Steve and two dearly loved daughters Jenna and Jessica - as well as her students at St. Francis Elementary School. Jean Ann loved her job and felt like she was able to live the dream every day. Her programs each year were off the charts with custom backdrops, costumes, and choreography. Her goal for every program was to give each student a part that made them shine on stage. “Mrs. Confer,” as they called her after her marriage to Steve, was an advocate for every student and wanted everyone to succeed. She expanded her love of music and theater by directing the community production of “Fiddler on the Roof” which she spoke of fondly.
There were awards for her work – including the Kansas Music Educators Association teacher of the year and Golden Apple award for 40 years of teaching – but awards don’t define a life and love for music. She was a lifelong member of the Chapter U PEO organization in St. Francis - she loved spending time with her beloved sisters, serving the community and supporting young women with scholarships in this organization. She was also a lifelong member of the St. Francis Music club - she loved hosting meetings at her house, getting together with friends at meetings and supporting local musicians. She was also a long-time director of the United Methodist church and bell choir.
Her two girls would one day become feature performers at the Good Samaritan Village, along with other students. Jean Ann loved this just as much as the residents did. She would do Christmas and Valentine’s Day programs for residents and for several summers would take her daughter up to perform music. Jean Ann was on piano, Jenna would sing and play clarinet, and Jessica would play the trumpet. Jean Ann always wanted to share her gift of music with the community. Her daily joy was taking the girls to school every day and singing the song “This is the Day that the Lord Hath Made” as they drove.
Lost in her love of teaching others the joy of music was her actual talent playing the piano. Jean Ann was a fabulous piano player. She started playing at a young age, accompanied musicals in high school at Decatur Community High School and college at Fort Hays State. She also played at church socials, then played for her daughters vocal, clarinet and trumpet solos and was her own accompanist at the elementary school the entirety of her 40-year career. She had such a beautiful and expressive way of playing the piano. Her daughters firmly believed she could sight read and play anything on the piano.
Jean Ann loved to travel anytime she could. Her first big adventure was to Alabama where she took her parents to visit one of her dad’s sisters and a trip to Nashville, TN, with her brother Dan. One of her favorite places to take her family was to Branson, MO. It was an annual trip twice a year for over eight years. And finally, the trip of a lifetime with her daughters and friend, Pam McGowne, was to New York City. Here, she got a taste of the big city life, all the sights and sounds of New York and was scared to death. Her favorite part was getting to attend musicals on Broadway.
The cancer came for her in October 2017 but Jean Ann made the best of it. The cancer was unresponsive to conventional treatment, so the family made a trip in July of 2020 to San Francisco to get what she called her “miracle drug.” In addition to cancer treatment, she and the family got to see the good and the bad of San Francisco - Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, The Redwood National Park, cold beautiful beaches and their rental car with smashed windows in a Safeway parking lot. All was well though, several hours later the family were sent to Oakland to dig through multiple trash bags full of the family belongings.
Jean Ann is survived by her spouse and two children, husband Steve Confer, of St. Francis, KS, daughter Jenna Brubaker (Confer) and husband Jacob Brubaker, of Hays, KS, daughter Jessica Confer, St. Francis, KS, and brothers Steven Joe and Christen Hess and daughters Norah, Lola, and Francie Hess, of Overland Park, KS, and brother Daniel Ray and Julie Hess and son Jonathan Carter Hess, of Salina, KS, and mother and father-in-law Pat and Melvin Confer, of St. Francis, KS, and brother in law Curt and Carrie Confer and son Nathan Confer of Thorton, CO, and many nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.
Jean Ann was preceded in death by her parents; Dan and Cecil Hess.
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