On their first wedding anniversary in 1970, Jeanne and Mike Oakes walked on the beach at Ludington State Park. Mike turned to his new wife and said, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could live here?” It took 26 years, but in 1996, that dream became a permanent reality. Today, at 77, Jeanne Oakes hasn’t just lived in Mason County; she has helped build it.
Jeanne’s perspective is unique because she served as the Community Foundation’s executive director for four years, and she now serves on the Foundation’s board of trustees. Her recent establishment of the Jeanne Oakes Community Fund at the Community Foundation is the ultimate expression of Jeanne’s confidence in the Community Foundation and her love for her community.
Jeanne’s “can-do” spirit was planted on a small farm in Dimondale, Michigan. Growing up with two brothers, she is as down-to-earth as a person can be. Whether she was driving a tractor to outrun a summer storm or testing her luck “riding a cow out of the barn like a rodeo,” Jeanne enjoyed a happy childhood. She didn’t realize her family didn’t have much money because, in her eyes, they had everything — meat, milk, and butter from their very own “zoo” of animals.
That farm-girl grit characterized Jeanne’s 37-year career in education, where she served as a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent. No matter her role, she has always been hands-on. During a recent stint as interim city manager, Jeanne eagerly jumped into holes with members of the DPW crew, walked through wastewater plants, and learned their inner workings firsthand.
Jeanne views her extensive community service as a series of graduate courses. Her continuing education has included board positions with the United Way of Mason County, the Ludington Rotary Club, West Shore Bank, and the hospital board, where she served as chair. Following her time on the Ludington City Council and as interim city manager, she remains active today on the Downtown Development Authority, the Community Foundation board, and the finance committee at St. Mary’s Church in Custer.
Like her professional career, Jeanne’s community service is equal parts labor and leadership. She fondly recalls the years before the Rotary Club had a trailer, when she and Mike would manually construct a booth by screwing sheets of plywood to two-by-fours whenever they prepared to sell elephant ears. When the fundraiser was over, she’d haul the oversized sheet pans to the local car wash to scrub them down since they were too big for a kitchen sink. “Everything was work, but it was fun,” Jeanne said.
As much as Jeanne adores her community, her greatest love will always be Mike. The pair met in high school and began dating in college. After their first date, that was it. “The rest was history,” Jeanne shared. She describes her husband of 44 years as “the kindest, gentlest, most thoughtful man.” Even after decades of marriage, she would still freshen up her lipstick in the car mirror before seeing him at the end of the day.
When Mike suddenly passed away in 2013, the Community Foundation — where he had served as executive director after retiring from education — needed leadership. Sitting at her kitchen table with board members, Jeanne simply said, “I’ll get you through. I know what I’m doing.”
Jeanne faces other life challenges with that same grace and strength, including both of her children and one grandchild being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. “I guess I’m glad God’s got a lot of confidence in me … He gave me super strong shoulders,” she said. Her Catholic faith plays an integral role in her life and shapes who she is today. She also credits her incredible support system, noting that God has always filled her life with the most amazing friends who never fail her when she needs them most.
Jeanne’s approach to giving is shaped by her humble upbringing and eye-opening travel to developing nations. “That’s how you learn how blessed you are,” she reflects, “and when enough is enough. I have enough, so I have extra that I can easily give.”
When Jeanne helped raise money to build the Women’s Imaging Center at the local hospital, she encouraged others to pitch in by saying, “Every dollar is a snowflake, and before you know it, you’re buried in a blizzard.” It is this philosophy that inspired her to establish her new fund. By making it unrestricted, Jeanne ensures her generosity will join other “snowflakes” to blanket the area with support indefinitely. She has absolute faith in the Community Foundation to steward her gift well: “They’ll meet the needs of the community at a time when I’m no longer involved.”
Today, whether she’s tackling home repairs — known to friends on Facebook as “Spring Projects with Jeanne” — or caring for her cats, Ida and Adeline, Jeanne remains focused on improving and bringing joy to the place she calls home.
In fact, one of Jeanne’s recent spring projects involved refilling bubble wands. She is well known for filling the air at the Marina with bubbles, buying wands by the case so she never has fewer than 100 on hand. Because growing old is an option Jeanne “will never choose,” she delights in tossing bubble wands down to children as they walk below her residence toward the nearby park.
“There is no ‘they,'” Jeanne emphasizes, reminding us why she chose to create a lasting legacy. “We’re the only ones who can improve [the community].”
Thanks to the generosity of community-minded people like Jeanne, together we are creating a stronger, more vibrant community with opportunities for everyone to thrive.