Jeannette Irene McElhinny

     If you met Jeannette McElhinny once, you likely never forgot her. She was the woman with the warm smile, the booming voice (perfected on the farm), and the kind of curiosity that led to long stories and even longer lists of questions. She had an adventurous streak, a love for horses, and a knack for making everyone she encountered — from grocery clerks to nurses — feel like an old friend.

     Jeannette was born at home on September 1, 1931, in Linesville, PA, to Katherine (Hardle) and Paul Lee Britton Sr. She was the youngest of four, the beloved little sister to Paul L. Britton Jr., Louise, and Letha Mae Britton. She grew up in a red brick house with a towering red maple tree in the side yard — a tree she loved to climb on warm summer days. From an early age, she had a fondness for horses and anything to do with them, a love she never lost, even riding well into her 90s.

     A 1949 graduate of Linesville Area High School, Jeannette attended Mercyhurst College for a year before beginning work at General Electric in Erie, PA, commuting home on weekends.

     On April 11, 1953, she married the love of her life, Michael McElhinny. Together they built a modest home in the Hartstown countryside, which grew over time to fit their lively family of nine children. Jeannette’s home was always full — of love, noise, and plenty of farm work. She excelled at sewing clothes and bedspreads, baking fresh bread, and canning enough food to feed a village.

     She also had a bold, adventurous streak. In her 60s, she proudly earned her motorcycle license and loved telling that story to anyone she met. She enjoyed visiting with friends at the Linesville Senior Center, swapping quilting tips, and catching up on the phone with friends and relatives. She rarely missed an MLB game and had a special fondness for the New York Yankees — thanks in no small part to Derek Jeter.

     Jeannette was a cheerful, loud, and lively spirit — perhaps a voice honed by years of calling across the farm. Her stories were long, her questions were many, and her warmth left an impression on everyone from grocery clerks to nurses to the repairmen who visited her home.

     In later years, she found great joy in sewing on her favorite Janome machine, piecing quilts for her children and grandchildren — binding a piece of her heart into every stitch.

     She is survived by her children: Maureen Theresa Greenawalt, Colleen Ann (Jim) Reaugh, Michaela Eileen “Micki” (Dick) Conn, Veronica Ann “Hucky” Schachter, Michael Brian McElhinny, Mary Patricia (Bryon) Roland, Nora Kathleen, and Katherine Marie McElhinny (Benjamin Fiske); sixteen grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

     She was preceded in death by Michael (2009) and daughter Frances Ann “Gidget” McElhinny (1985).

     Visitation will be held Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. at the Royal Coleman Funeral Home in Linesville, followed by a funeral mass at 2:30 p.m. at St. Philip’s Roman Catholic Church with Father Phil Pinczewski and Father Chris Hamlett  concelebrating.    

     In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Crawford County, 766 Liberty Street, Meadville, PA 16335.