In full BLOOM

Sharon Jessup offers a lifetime of service to Yuma

Sharon Jessup has been a strong pillar in numerous Yuma organizations for 60 years. Her broad knowledge on so many subjects, her strong leadership skills, her creativity and her sincere wish to help others have all combined to make Sharon an indispensable supporter of Yuma’s Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, local garden clubs, and Yuma Co. Historical Society, to name a few.

She is a whirlwind of energy and positive vibes that has stirred the pot of so many local organizations and helped them move forward in their mission to provide exceptional service to Yuma.

Jessup is not a Yuma native. Her husband, Morris Jessup, was a lieutenant colonel in the Army assigned to various bases around the world. As a military wife, she learned how to travel “lean and mean” with four children in tow. “Bloom where you are planted” was a good description of Jessup during her husband’s military career. No matter where they were stationed, she was eager to learn about the area’s plants and wildlife.

In 1971, Jessup’s husband was assigned to the Yuma Proving Ground. After finishing his tour, the family planned on settling in Yuma. However, Morris was reassigned to a final three-year term of duty in Panama. After Panama, the family returned to Yuma and made it their permanent home.

A teenager in need of a home soon joined the Jessup family and became part of their active bunch. Sharon not only kept her five children busy with sports and after-school activities, but also found time to join Pecan Grove Garden Club and First Presbyterian Church. She volunteered decades of service to both organizations.

Over the years, Jessup held every office in

SE GARDEN/B2

PHOTOS BY KAREN BOWEN SHARON JESSUP SPENT THIS PAST SUMMER CUTTING and assembling 190 birdhouses for Pecan Grove Garden Club to paint and decorate. Sale of the birdhouses funds the club’s many landscape projects throughout Yuma’s city parks and schools. They will sell at the Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 5, 581 7th Ave., 10-3 p.m.

AS A MILITARY WIFE, Sharon Jessup collected seeds, cones and pods from around the world. At Yuma Home and Garden Shows, she often displayed her collection for the public to enjoy.

PECAN GROVE GARDEN CLUB MEMBER Sharon Jessup presents a native plants workshop to Girl Scouts. Sophia Echols, a Daisy Scout, tries her hand at grinding mesquite beans into flour.