Jeanette Anne Schuster Staves Ramos

Our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother Jeanette Anne Schuster Staves Ramos passed away Friday, September 8, 2023, in Maquoketa, Iowa.  She was born September 14, 1937, in Oswego, New York.

Jeanette described her early years as woefully lonely until her siblings, Marjean and David, joined the family in 1949 and 1951 respectively.

Piano lessons at the age of six years first cultivated her musical talents which broadened to include exhibition dancing, vocal groups, and drama.  Through her involvement in theatrical productions at Nott Terrace High School (Schenectady, New York), her frequent dance partner and classmate, Ralph Staves, she met the love of her life, Robert Douglas Staves.

Robert and Jeanette married on February 26, 1955.  Their union produced four children.  October 1961, they opened their hearts and home to four more children, and then their union produced five more children.  More than twenty years later one of the youngest five children overheard a discussion among older siblings and in surprise asked, “You mean some kids in this family are adopted?”  His question was the fulfillment of Mom’s dream that we were one family.

Jeanette loved being a mother and organizing the activities and schedule of her large family.  She created chore charts and practice schedules for the many instruments played by her children.  She devised a merit/demerit system to encourage good behaviors and discourage poor behaviors as well as a system called “Days” which continuously rotated through the children, oldest to youngest.  On your designated “Day,” only you accompanied mom to do errands which often included stopping for a treat.  She taught her children to work hard and to be independent.  She loved God and considered the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be best thing she could give to her children.

Jeanette was outgoing, fun-loving, and adventurous.  Necessity coupled with her spirit of adventure promoted the development of a wide variety of domestic talents.  She taught herself to reupholster furniture and was willing to tackle most household repair projects.  Her many talents included sewing (including coats for her children), crocheting, knitting, cooking, baking, and ceramics which she shared and taught to her children and grandchildren.  Regardless of the setting her hands were rarely idle.  She was always anxious to gather as a family and to celebrate someone or something.

Jeanette married Jose Ramos and embraced his four children and grandchildren into the home they created together.  Again, she opened her heart and home to welcome her growing family and was anxious to celebrate together. 

She is survived by her children, Karen (King) Smith, Dawn (Keith) Chaston, Meg (Greg) Bramwell, Sevea (James K.) O’Brien, Robert (Julie) Staves, Laurel (H Clay) Nunley, Kimberli (Greg) Small, Katie (Joe) Archibald, April (Jeff) Schummer, Julianne (David) Day, Gayla (Steve) Belnap, and Edward Staves, by her stepchildren, Maren (Sam) Paget, Linda (Gary) Vandolzer, and by her siblings, Marjean (Bill) Thomson and David (Terry) Schuster.  She is survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her infant son, Peter Ralph Staves, parents, John Alexander Schuster, and Margaret Mary (Bristol) Schuster, husband Robert D. Staves, husband Jose Ramos, and stepchildren Fred Ramos and Susan Ramos.

We will gather to celebrate her colorful life as Grandma Rainbow, Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at the Bountiful Utah Val Verda Stake Center, 2651 South 500 West, Bountiful, Utah 84010.  The viewing is set for 9:30 am – 10:45 am, the service, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, followed by interment at Bountiful City Cemetery. 

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page and on this obituary page.  The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.