Jeanette Elsie Wilhelmina Momot of Thunder Bay passed away peacefully on November 28 2024. The eldest child of Albin and Rosella Palmquist she was born on May 9 1939 in Gaylord Minnesota. Her family subsequently moved to a small farm near St Peter Minnesota.
Jeanette was a happy warm hearted person with a great sense of humor. To know her was to love her. Jeanette was the first member of her family to graduate from high school and go on to higher education. She attended Gustavus Adolphus College and Iowa State University and went on to earn her Master of Science in Biology from Ohio State University specializing in honey bee genetics.
It was at Ohio State University that Jeanette met her future husband Dr. Walter T. Momot, a biology professor. They were married on August 27 1966 in St Peter Minnesota and spent the first eight years of their marriage in Columbus Ohio where their three children were born.
Walter accepted a position in the Biology department at Lakehead University. They moved to Thunder Bay Ontario in 1975 and subsequently settled in Oliver Paipoonge on a beautiful property overlooking the Kaministiquia River. It was here that Jeanette enjoyed raising honey bees. She used her background in honeybee genetics to perfect her own strain of hygienic mite-resistant bees. For many years she sold honey at fall fairs and markets before eventually focusing on the raising and selling of beehives and queen bees in an effort to keep the Thunder Bay District supplied with “clean” bees which were free of mites. Jeanette was a founding member of the Thunder Bay Beekeepers Association and became the provincial bee inspector for the Thunder Bay District, a job she held for many years.
Jeanette enjoyed the outdoors and spent much time gardening, fishing and foraging for a variety of wild foods. She was a member of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists and loved bird watching and cross country skiing. She was an avid brewer of wine, mead and beer and enjoyed taste testing the results of her endeavors.
Jeanette also loved music and always had season tickets to the Symphony. She was an enthusiastic player of the accordion and harmonica but particularly loved playing the violin which she picked up as an adult. She joined the Senior Music Makers performing concerts for long term care residents around Thunder Bay. She was proud of her Swedish heritage and spoke fluent Swedish. She visited the family's original cabin in the woods near Gothenburg and would loudly proclaim Jussi Bjoerling to be the greatest operatic tenor who ever lived.
Jeanette loved spending time with her family and friends and enjoyed getting together with her neighbors for tea or coffee. She loved when visitors would drop by.
Jeanette was a strong woman surviving through breast cancer, uterine cancer and two major strokes. In her final years she resided at Pioneer Ridge and enjoyed showing off her garden, attending musical programs and watching classic movies and nature programs.
Jeanette is survived by her husband Walter Momot, sons John (Susan) and William, daughter Claire, sister Ginny (Roger) Cooper, grandchildren Beth and Thomas and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents Albin Palmquist and Rosella Palmquist-Sexe and her brother Allan (Sandy) Palmquist.
Jeanette's family would like to extend their gratitude to all of the caring nurses and staff at Pioneer Ridge.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorial donations in Jeanette's name would be appreciated to the following organizations:
The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra
The Public Broadcasting Service
The Heart and Stroke Foundation
Canadian Cancer Society
