Eulogy for Jennifer Lynn McCartney
Jennifer (Jenny) Lynn McCartney reached up to her Savior’s loving arms Tuesday evening, September 16th , 2008 at 7:10 P.M and peacefully crossed over to a better place. She was at the home she loved with her loving husband, Michael McCartney at her side, and covered by the prayers of her family, her church family and her many friends. Jenny had been battling Renal Cell Carcinoma since 2006. Jenny was born at Mercy Hospital in Sacramento, California on April 26th ,1949 to her loving parents Henry and Ruth Thienes who presently reside in Granite Bay, California. Also still on this side of the great divide and missing her dearly are her brother Mark Thienes and family of Castle Rock, Colorado , her three children, Steven and family of Warner-Robbins Georgia, Deborah and family of Granite Bay, California, and Amy and family of Pilot Hill, California. Also missing her are her beloved grandchildren Kayla and Kristin of Warner-Robbins, Georgia and Nickolas of Granite Bay, California. She will also be missed by all her dear Brothers and Sisters at Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Granite Bay where she was blessed to attend and serve for over 50 years.
In March of 1951 when Jennifer was two years old, her family moved from Citrus Heights to Roseville and her faithful mother Ruth started taking her to the Landmark Missionary Baptist Church on Clinton and Fern streets. She was saved and baptized there in 1958. She had many memories of this church. Sister Duncan was her Sunday school teacher and she remembered her two babies, Kay and Pete. Pauline Tabor and Florence Johnson also made a great impression on her. Other memories from her childhood were of her Gramma Jesse helping her learn to read better, and of her Grampa Otto who let her ride with him on his tractor and let her help at his Richfield gas station in Loomis. She recalled the great times she had with her father, Henry and his father when they would take her fishing. She loved to go metal detecting and never forgot the four-wheel drive trips with her dad into the Rubicon Valley. She also never forgot the train trips to Indiana to visit her relatives, Aunt Betty and Uncle Henry and their daughter Carolyn Decker. She loved all her family very much. When she was eight years old she sang her first solo at church, “Away in the Manger.” Her girlfriends growing up were Kay and Carol Duncan, Rozane and JoAnn Duncanson, Dreama Miller, and Wilma Scott whose dad was her pastor. She was also active in Bluebirds, Camp Fire girls, and her youth group at church. She was always in choir as God had blessed her with a beautiful voice. When she was in High School, she tried out for a girls singing group called the “Twilights“. For the tryout she played the piano and sang the hymn “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow“ and made the group. Today she indeed sees the One who holds tomorrow. She lived in Roseville until she graduated from Placer High School in 1967.
She met her husband-to-be, Mike, at Roseville High school in 1963 in the choir. He was a senior and she was only a freshman. Jenny finally got Mike’s attention in 1964 at his graduation party at Mac and Doris Blanco’s house in Citrus Heights by tipping his chair into the pool with him in it. Their friendship grew into love and they were married in Roseville, California on January 20th of 1967. Three wonderful children soon followed: Steve, Debora and Amy. She wanted them to know today that they have all been a blessing to her, that she was very proud of all of them, and that she loved them with all her heart.
The family lived in several locations in the Roseville area until Mike completed RN training in 1971 after which they moved to Loomis in 1978. Jennifer poured her love and abilities into her family and into the various ministries of her church in the pattern of the Proverbs 31 woman. Music was always her joy and she loved to sing to the glory of God. As well as singing at church, for over 20 years she sang songs and ministered with her husband at the Union Gospel Mission of Sacramento on the fourth Thursday of each month by playing the piano and witnessing to the homeless men and women. Many of them appreciated her and voiced their heartfelt concern and prayers for her when she stopped attending four months ago because of her battle with Renal Cell Cancer.
Jenny’s interests included anything to do with her kids, making cross-stitches to give away, doing word puzzles, keeping journals, scrap-booking, her Ragdoll Cat, raising Basset Hounds (she was a professional breeder of AKC Basset hounds for many years), taking care of her husband (including trying to get him to pick up things!), traveling to Hawaii numerous times thru the years for anniversaries, singing specials at church, bible reading, tending her roses, bowling, watching Jeopardy and Wheel Of Fortune, Little House on the Prairie, Dr. Quinn, Touched by an Angel, Doc, Extreme Home Makeover, and almost anything clean on the game show network.
During the last months of her illness she received much comfort from the posts on her website at www.caringbridge.com. Over 5000 visits were made to the site and the comments, prayers and encouraging notes were all read to her by Michael and they were a great blessing to her. Thanks also must be given to her friends on the Kidney Cancer Chat line. These survivors of Renal Cell Cancer with their advice and knowledge were of great comfort and encouragement to her as she bravely battled one of the rarest and fastest growing cancers known.
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My mom would want me to tell you how much she loves all of you here today and that she and our family sincerely appreciate your prayers, love, and support.
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There will be a private graveside service Friday afternoon 10/03/08 at 2:00 PM at the New Castle Cemetery Gazebo. A celebration of her life will be held at Landmark Missionary Baptist Church located at 7150 Wildwood Place, Granite Bay, California on the following Saturday, 10/04/08 at 10:30 AM. Lunch will follow in the Church’s fellowship hall. Instead of flowers, the family requests that if you have been the recipient of a cross-stitch from Jenny, that you bring it to the celebration service to share in a wall of cross stitches in her honor. If anyone wants to make a donation in Jenny‘s memory, you may do so at
