Jean was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, the third of four sisters and a younger brother. After graduating from high school, she went to work for the telephone company as an operator. When a job became available at an S.S. Kresge store nearer to her home, she worked as a clerk managing the hosiery counter. At that Kresge store, she met the young assistant manager Ervin "Herb" Wardlow. While he was away in the Army Air Corps during WWII, Jean continued working for Kresge's, and due to...
Jean was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, the third of four sisters and a younger brother. After graduating from high school, she went to work for the telephone company as an operator. When a job became available at an S.S. Kresge store nearer to her home, she worked as a clerk managing the hosiery counter. At that Kresge store, she met the young assistant manager Ervin "Herb" Wardlow. While he was away in the Army Air Corps during WWII, Jean continued working for Kresge's, and due to...