After more than thirty years of living in Alaska, Jeannette Jame and her husband, Jim, are moving south to Oregon. The Fairbanks Republican Women and District 11 Alaska Republican Party have asked Ralph and Connie Seekins to open up their home to friends of Jeannette and Jim for a farewell potluck and give everyone a chance to say goodbye.
The potluck will be held September 7th from 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Seekins Home. We will post a map at a later date.
Jeannette grew up on a farm in Iowa, where she learned the values of hard work and honesty that would later define her career in the Alaska Legislature. Mrs. James always treated everybody with equal respect and fairness.
In 1948, Jeannette met and married her husband, Jim. Together, they have raised three children and nineteen foster children. Now Jeannette is the proud grandmother of four grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and numerous foster grandchildren. In February 2007, Jeannette and Jim celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary.
In 1975, after their family was all grown, Jim and Jeannette decided to embark on a brand new adventure. They packed up and moved to Alaska. In North Pole, Jeannette and Jim owned and operated a motel, and Jeannette opened an accounting and business-consulting firm. Jeannette remains an active member of her community. She volunteers her time for many organizations, boards, and service projects.
In 1993, Jeannette was elected as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives, where she served for ten years. Notable legislation she authored and passed includes: Concealed Handgun permits, Landlord Tenant reform, Regulation reform, Fairbanks-Nome Railroad corridor, and the Alaska public building fund.
She served as Chair of the House State Affairs Committee for six years, and as the House Majority Leader for two years.
After leaving the legislature, Jeannette was appointed by Governor Murkowski as an advisor for the Alaska Canada Railroad link and she served in that capacity for nearly four years. She also recently served as President of the Fairbanks Republican Women's Club and the North Pole Rotary.
