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On February 18, 2004, exactly one year to the day after the passage of Miss Edna, beloved Miss Jean, a great light in the world went up to heaven and left us all a little lonelier here on earth.
I want to sing more,
dance more, laugh and be happy, smile a smile and dry a tear or
two. I want to clap more, tap more, give someone an encore and
let the sun shine through. I want to help my friends feel better
and better, Life is more than just a passing thru. So make your
own list of things you want to do. The rest I'm leaving up to
you. I want to hear more jokes that really are funny. Not that
make you blush because they're blue. I want to hear that songbird
singing a song. Or maybe catch a falling star or two. I want to
gather rainbows after the rain. And save them for another rainy
day. So make your own list of things you want to do, the rest
I'm leaving up to you. [Words and music by Miss Jean Anderson]
The Goddess of May by Kym Trippsmith
Back in 1987, I had a dance troupe called the Sisterhood of the Latter Day Bozos with two other women. We were booked to do a show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and were having difficulty finding a place to rehearse. While house-sitting on California Street, I noticed a small studio on 6th Ave near Clement. One day, I noticed the door was slightly open, so I walked in and took a seat. There was Miss Jean teaching a ballet class to a group of young girls. One of the girls was rather fat and Miss Jean called her out and asked her to do a solo. The little girl's eyes gleamed with light and she began to dance like a swan in bold moves to a 40s song on an ancient turntable. When the dance was over, Miss Jean smiled deeply and said, "Very dramatic dear, very dramatic!"
Right then and there, I fell in love with Miss Jean. She has this innate ability to fan the flame of any person who walked through her door. We started talking that day and she offered to let us rehearse for free whenever we wished and even came by to give us some insightful critiques. One night as we walked her home, she started tap dancing and singing "On the Sunny Side of the Street." We vowed that when we returned to learn how to tap.
For the next few years, I kept coming and getting to know Miss Jean and Miss Edna and soon I began to learn how to tap, one step at a time, and to learn ballroom dancing with my partner. Once I asked miss Jean why she had never married, and she replied, "Damn honey, I knew there was something I forgot to do."
In 1992, I started to produce the May Day Festival
and Miss Jean became our official Queen of the May. Every year
up until 2001, we would dress Miss Jean in a beautiful pink gown
and black velvet cape and she would lead the children's Maypole
dance while Miss Edna looked on with her wry smile. "The
best thing you can give a child is a happy memory," Miss
Edna would say. After the maypole dance, Miss Jean would come
out and lead us all in the Waltz of the Fairies - a free form
ballet/waltz in which the crowd would all join in as Miss Jean
danced her beautiful dance. It was enchanting - a true Fellini
moment that soon became an annual tradition.
Miss Jean and Miss Edna also walked me down the aisle at my wedding.
Miss Edna looked over as my husband-to-be approached and said,
"Today honey, you'll tie a knot with your mouth that your
teeth cannot undo." And Miss Jean sang a couple songs and
gave her blessings during the ceremony - it was like having my
fairy goddessmothers there...
Miss Jean and miss Edna are my true heroines.
They devoted their lives to making children (and adults) happy.
They were sharp as tacks, and witty beyond belief. They have taught
me so much about life and love and I will honor them both all
the days of my life.
I am most happy to help with Mss Jean's page...She was my fairy
goddess mother (as well as Miss Edna). ~ Kym Trippsmith
[More stories and tributes to follow]