Jean Birkenstein Washington

Earth Day/Birthday Celebration

/

Was held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 22, 2004

An Earth Day/Birthday celebration was held at Aarrowood Pet Cemetery, 24090 N. Highway 45, Vernon Hills, Illinois, where Jean is interred. A fervent environmentalist, animal and plant lover - also a teacher, artist, mathematician and civil rights leader - Jean was born 78 years ago on April 22, 1926. Appropriately, the date was designated Earth Day in 1970.

We celebrated her life by placing a marker on her grave, etched with her artwork, "The Cat Convention," along with words of her own about humans and cats. An original lithograph of the work was presented by her family to the Sierra Club, which will hang it in the public area of its Washington, D.C. offices.

Aarrowood is located 1-1/2 mile northwest of the junction of Milwaukee Road & Half Day Road.

Below are some photos from the celebration: