Beverly “Jeanne” MacDonald

October 8, 1938 – May 7, 2024

B. “Jeanne” Clouston was born to Jessee E. and Helen L. (Doty) Clouston on October 8, 1938 (at home) in Bell Gardens, CA. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, her family moved back to the family farm in Ness City, Kansas. She attended a one-room country school for two years and then Ness City Grade School and High School where she graduated in 1956. Five days after graduation, she married Dale R. Rupp and moved to Milton, Fl where her husband was stationed in the Navy. Their first daughter was born in Pensacola, Florida. After the service (1958), they made their home in Pueblo, CO where Jeanne and Dale had two more daughters. She was a full-time, stay-at-home mom, until the girls were in school. In 1979 they were divorced.

Even though she was born in California and grew up a Kansas girl, Jeanne spent the rest of her life in Colorado. On April 26, 1980 Jeanne married her best friend and soul mate Clif MacDonald in Breckenridge, CO. Together they lived in the mountains & western slope before spending 25 years in Johnstown, CO and making their final home in Loveland, CO. Jeanne & Clif had 44 years of happiness and enjoyed traveling, skiing, biking, hiking, dancing, playing bridge and shopping together over those wonderful years . They loved family gatherings.

Over the years Jeanne produced many works of art, mainly pen & ink sketches. She wrote and illustrated a few books for her grandchildren & great grandchildren. However, her passion was genealogy. She began family research in 1960 and continued it until her passing. What a wonderful journey that was. Talking with her grandparents and a great aunt she learned so much about her father’s family. After years of research, she obtained a copy of her Gt. Gt. Gt. Grandfather’s application for citizenship which detailed arrival in the United States in 1818.  She then connected the family back to the year 1024 on the Orkney Islands of Scotland with the help of a living relative there; all without the help of a computer. She published multiple genealogy books on the Clouston family. She then researched the MacDonald family of the Highlands and Isle of Skye in Scotland. In 2017, Jeanne decided to work on her mother’s side -- the Doty family. Because that ancestor had been a passenger on the Mayflower voyage in 1620, it had already been documented very well. So, she concentrated her efforts on the family from the early 1800’s to the present . . . enabling future generations their personal connection to the Mayflower voyage. She enjoyed keeping in contact with many cousins, nieces, and nephews. Some of her books are published in the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Family time was a favorite for her. Every year, for over 30 years, the family (living in Colorado) spent Christmas Eve at the MacDonald home.  Jeanne and her three daughters celebrated each of their birthdays together with lunch and a movie or shopping after. She was a wonderful mother. She was also able to travel and attend 2 weddings of grandchildren in her last few months. She enjoyed the celebrations and danced at each one of them.

Jeanne is preceded in death by her parents, younger sister Ann Garrelts, brother Don Clouston, older sister, Mary Lee DeShazo and granddaughter Jessica Foster. She will be missed by her devoted husband, Clif, along with daughters Dina (Kevin) McCarty, Debra (Mark) Moore and Marianne Tameris; brother Bob (Marye) Clouston and brother-in-law Gayle Garrelts. She is also missed by three stepchildren: Gary (Carrie) MacDonald, Steve (Sandra) MacDonald and Julie MacDonald. She leaves behind 12 loving grandchildren and ten great grandchildren that she loved dearly. 

Jeanne’s Life Celebration will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 27, 2024 at Adamson with a reception to follow. Memorial gifts may be made to “St. Jude Children’s Hospital” in care of Adamson, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.  Condolences may be shared at AdamsonCares.com.