Jean Grainger, 89
Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 2 months AGO
Jean Grainger, 89, passed away Jan. 22, 2026, in Phoenix. She was born Dec. 14, 1936, in Creston to Valentine and Alice Zimmerman.
Jean grew up on the family farm in Creston and attended the then one-room schoolhouse at Cayuse Prairie. She graduated from Flathead High School with the Class of 1955 and remained connected to classmates throughout her life.
On April 2, 1960, she married Harold "Farley" Grainger. They shared 64 years together before his passing in May of 2024.
Jean and Farley enjoyed traveling and spending time outdoors. She loved hiking in Jewel Basin and Glacier National Park during the summers and cross-country skiing in the winter. Summers were spent at the family cabin at Table Bay on Flathead Lake, which held a special place in her heart.
In the 1990s, Jean and Farley developed a love for the Arizona desert. After retiring, they became snowbirds, later making Arizona their permanent home.
Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Harold "Farley" Grainger; her parents, Valentine and Alice Zimmerman; her sister, Evelyn Matthiessen and her brother, Raymond Zimmerman.
She is survived by her children, Cheryl Monroe and husband, Charlie, Gary Grainger and husband, Steve Schuman and Brian Grainger and wife, Vicki Higgins; her brother, Allen Zimmerman; her grandchildren, Nicole Folwick and husband, Marty, Hunter Monroe and wife, Kyndal; great-grandchildren, Addyson Grant, and Jett Clewein-Monroe; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She especially loved being a grandmother and great-grandmother.
Jean will be remembered by family and friends for her love of the outdoors, her strong ties to the Flathead Valley, and her devotion to her family.