Jean Skinner Giles — December 23, 1926 - September 24, 2025

    Jean Skinner Giles, 98, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and teacher, passed away peacefully in Palm Coast, Fla., on Sept. 24, 2025.
    She was a longtime Deer Lodge resident who taught two generations of third graders in Central and Granville Stuart schools.
    Born in Wadena, Minn., to Ralph and Ruth Skinner, Jean attended school in New York Mills, Minn., graduating from high school in 1944. She graduated from St. Cloud Teacher’s College in 1947 and began her career teaching second grade in the northern Minnesota town of Blackduck.
    Jean’s school years were deeply impacted by the Great Depression and the Second World War, leading to a lifetime love of big band music and war-era films and books, and a deep appreciation of family, home life and frugality. Aside from her teaching career, Jean’s passions were genealogy, cooking, baking, picnics, and hosting family gatherings. She was known for her sense of style and impeccable presentation, and her elegant holiday dinners.
    While teaching in Blackduck, Jean met next-door neighbor Murry Giles. They were married in October 1948 in the First Congregational Church in New York Mills. They later moved to Columbia Falls, Mont. Jean continued teaching and began a family, raising three children there, Kevin, Jeff, and Kathy. The family relocated to Deer Lodge, Mont., in 1958, where her fourth child, Kerry, was born.
    Jean began teaching third grade in 1961, and possessing a two-year teaching certificate, worked toward her degree in elementary education, graduating from Western Montana College in 1972. During this time, Murry suffered a devastating illness, and Jean held the family together during many difficult years while working full time, raising children, caring for Murry and advancing her education.
    Jean was an avid reader and writer. She promoted literacy and language arts throughout her teaching career. She was loved by her students and their families, and she received cards and letters from many of her former students throughout her retirement. She was active in the honorary teacher’s sorority of Delta Kappa Gamma, and the Elder Hostel. She taught Sunday school and played the piano in the First Presbyterian Church.
    Jean retired from teaching in 1987 to spend more time with her husband, who passed away in 1989. Jean subsequently pursued her dream of travel, visiting family and friends in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the colonial city of Williamsburg in Virginia, Minnesota, Arizona and Florida. She also traveled to Alaska and the British Isles and had fond memories of seeing Miss Saigon in London’s West End, and Phantom of the Opera in Los Angeles on her birthday, where she was invited backstage after the show. She took great pride in her Irish heritage and often spoke of her excitement at viewing the Book of Kells in Dublin, Ireland.
    Survivors include her four children, Kevin Giles (Becky) of Stillwater, Minn., Jeff Giles of Palm Springs, Calif., Kathy Talmage (Gary) of Palm Coast, Fla., and Kerry Giles (Connie) of Las Vegas; her five granddaughters, Heather Peacock (Jim), Harmony MacDonald (Jim), Hillorie Brauch (Dwayne), Tara Cullen (Shawn) and Korie Pawlowski; step-grandsons Lee Talmage (Leann) and Alex Talmage; nephew Tom Karvonen; sister-in-law Janyce Von Lindern; and her 13 great grandchildren. Jean was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her sister Phyllis Karvonen, her nephew Larry Karvonen, and a great granddaughter, Madison Welch.
    Celebration of life will be held at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in New York Mills at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery. Donations in memory of Jean Giles may be made to Gentiva Foundation (hospice) and to the World Literacy Foundation.