V. Jean Althaus Upson Fields passed away peaceful with family members at her bedside on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. She was born in Drumright, OK on Feb. 25, 1936, to Ken and Etta Althaus. Her family moved to Atchison, KS in 1944. Jean graduated from Atchison High in 1954. She attended Washburn University for one year and then Kansas State University for one year. She met Don Upson at KSU, they were married June 3, 1956, and lived in KCK with their three children. Don died in 1989 and she continued to live in KCK. After doing in home daycare for many years she then worked in the admissions office at KCKCC for 17 years. In 1996 she married Jim Fields and they lived in Overland Park. After Jim died, she moved to St. James Court in Olathe and was there for 13 years before moving into Sunrise Assisted Living (Sept. 2022) and then Silverado Memory Care (Sept. 2023). Jean loved bowling, playing bridge, Tripoley, Bunco, and watching K-State football and basketball. She also loved to travel. She and Jim traveled the world together and then she traveled with her daughter, Becky.
She is preceded in death by her parents, brother, sister and her family, first husband Don Upson (1989) and her second husband Jim Fields (2009).
She is survived by her three children: Becky (Mark) Conner of Olathe KS, Alan Upson of Texarkana TX, Karen Jones of KCK, stepdaughter Marsha (Lynn) Wren of Shawnee KS, five grandsons: Chris Conner, Nicholas Upson, Matthew (Lindsay) Upson, Shawn Jones, Ryan (Jamie) Upson and 2 step grandkids, Brigette (Ric) McKinney and Kirk (Annette) Wren, 10 great-grandkids and 4 step great-grandkids.
The family would like to give a special thanks to all the people and caregivers at Sunrise and Silverado and to Brighton Hospice during her last few days.
Donations can be made to the Ahearn Fund, 1800 College Ave. Manhattan, KS 66502, for the Don Upson Memorial/Jim and Jean Fields Basketball Scholarship at KSU athletics.
Visitation will be held at 9:00 a.m. with the Funeral Service following at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 16, at the Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia Lenexa, KS. Burial will follow at Highland Park Cemetery, Kansas City, KS.