Mrs. Miriam Jill Brett Hedenkamp passed away peacefully on April 3, 2018 at the age of 81 while surrounded by her family at Lakeview Village in Lenexa, Kansas.

Jill will be deeply missed and is survived by her husband George Hedenkamp, children: Carl Hedenkamp, Larry (Debbie) Hedenkamp, Anthony “Roy” (Cindy) Hedenkamp, and Bret (Steffany) Hedenkamp; her 12 grandchildren; her 12 great-grandchildren; her brother Roy Brett, sister Carol (David) Brunais, sister Susan “Sue” Powell, and sister Linda (Peter) Fuller. Jill is predeceased by her father, Harry William and mother Florence Irene (née Reeve) Brett; and two brothers, Ivan and Nicky Brett, who died as teenagers.

Jill was born on August 28, 1936 in Middleton, Norfolk, England. Her father Harry was the local veterinarian in Castle Rising near the seaport of King’s Lynn and served as a shepherd for both King George VI and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II at Sandringham Castle Estate in Norfolk, England.

Jill’s childhood was set in rural England against the serious time of World War II, when children from London were sent to the countryside to be safe from German bombings. Jill’s humble beginnings meant no electricity, running water, nor indoor plumbing, and meant often eating only bread, butter, and sugar sandwiches. Whilst father Harry got the bacon to be strong for his shepherd duties, the children only got the bacon fat. When the English people were asked to help out with the war effort, Jill learned how to knit socks for Italian soldiers.

On May 1, 1954, Jill wed George, who was a U.S. Air Force MP stationed in England. Jill’s upbringing on her family’s farm made her resourceful and productive, and she was an imaginative, industrious, and very stylish wife, a loving mother of her boys, as well as a creator, decorator, seamstress, and knitter. Her walk in life as a gentle, feminine, nurturing, and loving woman did not keep her from working security for several retail stores to help support her family while George was stationed in South Korea and elsewhere.

Jill was an athlete, making the track team in high school, and teaching her boys how to shoot a basketball and other athletic pursuits. She always honored her faith, joining the Church of England and singing in the choir as a young person, and teaching Sunday School at Lutheran or Episcopal Churches wherever in the U.S. she and George lived.

Above all, Jill and George taught their family about unconditional love, the value of working hard and playing hard, and enjoying everything in moderation and nothing in excess. As the head of a large and growing family, Jill and George always made room for another person at the table, and they shared what they had with guests, friends, and those they had just met.

As a couple, they were gracious and social, and they loved to laugh, dance, entertain, play tennis, and travel, always making friends, celebrating life, and embracing adventure. Jill’s boys always loved to make her laugh, as well as the people in their lives.

On Monday, April 9, the Family Visitation will take place from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. with the Service beginning at 3:00 p.m. at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Wesley Covenant Chapel, 13720 Roe Avenue, Leawood KS 66224. Contributions in memory of Jill may be made to: Great Lakes Care Hospice Foundation, 900 Cooper Street, Jackson, MI 49202, https://secure.blueseaonline.net/greatlakes/.