Jean Louise Spillner Weathers
December 26, 1935 – September 15, 2026
Former Quartz Valley resident Jean Louise Spillner Weathers passed away on September 15, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 90.
Jean was a leader and strong advocate in the Siskiyou County paraprofessional medical world, becoming the first Family Nurse Practitioner in the county in the 1970s. She was also known for her fierce skills as a pilot, towing thousands of gliders into the Siskiyou County skies and spending summer evenings flying fire patrol over the Klamath National Forest.
Jean was born on December 26, 1935, in Topeka, Kansas, to Harry and Mable Spillner. The family moved to Beloit, Wisconsin, during her high school years, and following graduation she headed to Chicago to attend the St. Luke’s School of Nursing. She graduated as a registered nurse in 1956.
In Chicago she met the love of her life, Terry Weathers. They married on April 8, 1956, in Beloit, and lived in Southern California while Terry served his three years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, before relocating to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, where their two daughters were born.
In 1964, they relocated to California, first in the Los Angeles area and then settling up north in Quartz Valley in 1972, where they built their cabin in the woods. Jean was part of the nursing community in Siskiyou County for more than 40 years, working at Siskiyou General Hospital, teaching nursing at the College of the Siskiyous, and then working in family practice for 20 years before she focused solely on women’s health. Along the way Jean became a certified nurse midwife. Jean was very popular with her patients, who followed her to whichever doctor’s office or clinic she was working for. She retired in 2015 at the age of 79.
Jean and Terry operated Montague Aviation at Montague-Rohrer Field for nearly 20 years. They were key in promoting Siskiyou County as a premier glider flying area, hosting a number of regional and national soaring competitions at the Siskiyou County Airport.
Jean and Terry spent their later years spoiling grandchildren, traveling to see family, attending numerous plays at the Siskiyou Performing Arts Center and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, wine tasting in California and Oregon, and being content in their same cabin in the woods in Quartz Valley. They also spent time with their friends in the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 654 and the Scott Valley Pilots Association.
Terry preceded Jean in death in July 2022. In 2024 Jean moved in with her daughter and son-in-law Cheryl and Bill Freckman in Scott Valley, and then moved to Chicago in 2025 to live with daughter and son-in-law Rebecca and Patrick Desmond. Jean was an avid reader and remained very close to her grandchildren.
Jean is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, along with grandchildren Kelly Ramirez and husband Thomas; Kris Deala and wife Abby; and Ellie Desmond; great-grandchildren Lyla and Cora Ramirez, and Jaxson and Raven Deala; sisters Joyce Jones and husband Ron, and Jan Kind and husband Tom; and nieces and nephews.
A private family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.