Jean Mustard

Jean Mustard, 100, peacefully passed away and joined our Lord and her beloved husband Jack on November 4, 2023, in Amarillo, Texas. Jean Mustard was born Wilma Jean McDowell on June 11, 1923 at home on the family farm outside Milford, Kansas. She graduated from Milford High School in 1941. Her home life and her high school home economics experience provided the basis of her lifelong interest and proficiency in both sewing and cooking.

In 1942, Jean went to college at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas and was a member of the Sigma Chi Sorority.  While attending Kansas State, she dated Jack Leon Mustard, a mechanical engineering student, and her future husband of 59 years. Jack and Jean were married on January 5, 1944 outside of Manhattan, Kansas. In August, Jack was commissioned as a naval officer. Jean put her studies on hold and joined Jack for the next year as his naval group trained for the invasion of Japan.  They were together in Boston on V.J. Day (Victory in Japan). As the war ended, Jean returned to K State and went on to complete her bachelor's degree in General Sciences in midsummer 1946. Following his discharge from the military, in the spring of 1946, Jean joined Jack in Borger, Texas. With the war and college behind them, they established their home in the small oil camp community of Phillips, Texas and Jean went to work for Phillips Petroleum Co. as a Chemist. In September 1948, Jack and Jean were blessed with the arrival of their first child, Susan Elizabeth, followed by twin sons John McDowell and Thomas Walter in April 1951. Jack and Jean were active members of the Phillips Methodist Church Family. Jean was active in the local Garden Club and had a love of flowers, gardening and creating floral arrangements. Jean was an excellent seamstress and a marvelous cook. In 1973, Jack took a two year overseas assignment at Phillips’s Ecofisk North Sea project. While overseas in Norway, Jean was able to join Jack and take day trips to explore Norway and travel into Europe. During later travels back to Europe, Jack and Jean were in London when terrorist took down the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Jean enjoyed traveling, socializing with friends, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. After Jack’s passing in 2003, Jean relocated to ‘The Craig Methodist Retirement Community’ in Amarillo. In April 2017, Jean moved into ‘Autumn Leaves’ in Amarillo (renamed ‘The Reserve’), She has comfortably resided at ‘The Reserve’, becoming one of the most senior residents, at age 100, until her passing on November 4, 2023.

Survivors include her sister Joan Wright of Larned, Kansas, daughter Susan Mustard of Orcas Island, Washington, two sons, Thomas Mustard and wife Denise of Fulshear, Texas, John Mustard and wife Angela of Amarillo, seven grandchildren, Thomas and Denise’s daughters, Julia Elizabeth Fragoso and husband Stacey of Spring, Texas, and Cristin Alexandra Matula and husband Dustin of Weston Lakes, Texas, John and Angela’s sons Jack Alexander Mustard of Amarillo and Erik Ross Mattson of Pasadena, Texas, John and Angela’s daughters Brooke Andrea Brown and husband Karl of Jacksonville, Florida, Miranda Grace Jefferson and husband David of Amarillo, Texas, ten great-grandchildren, Whit Fragoso (8), Charlotte Fragoso (5), Brady Matula (9), Ellyson Matula (6), and Bowen Matula (4) Jackson Mustard (17), Addison Mustard (16), Jasper Mustard (5), Liam Brown (1), Charlotte Jefferson (2), niece Beth Wright and husband Craig.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband Jack Leon Mustard, grandson Dalton Thomas Mustard, brother-in-law Morgan Wright and nephew Wyatt Wright.

The family would like to express their deepest appreciation and gratitude to the wonderful kind and caring staff of ‘The Reserve’ for the last six and one half years.