She has lost her home to the Santa Rosa fires. Such a heart-wrenching tragedy.

Here's a drawing that I did, especially for her:

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/7fdf21745ff370c88e99026a21ada398d8b7b975/c=0-162-3796-3016&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/2017/10/13/Phoenix/Phoenix/636435019077079179-CORRECTED-2c-USE-THIS-ONE-INSTEAD---Benson-COLOR-AA-Santa-Rosa-Fire-10-15-17.jpg


Jeannie is such a dear friend. I have spent many hours visiting with her up at that home of hers in the quiet Santa Rosa hills, where we connected on so many levels: religion, politics, life--you name it, she tackles it with gusto and feeling. She loves life, every minute of it. At her invitation, I accompanied her to one of her weekly trapeze lessons. She is fearless. She's pushing 80 and iti seems like nothing phases her. She wants me to take her on a motorcycle ride one of these days.

Jeannie's a strong, intelligent, outspoken and caring person who lived for 40 years in that wonderful home, one that was full of family treasures and memories. She'll get through this in due time but what a shocking loss. One of her sons, who also lives in Santa Rosa, also lost his home to the wind-whipped blazes.

Below is a link to a story in the "Mercury News" about the fire destroying her home. Everything in it was devoured by fire, but she managed to safely escape at 2 in the morning last Monday.

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/12/peanuts-creator-charles-schulzs-widow-flees-santa-rosa-fire-home-destroyed/


Love you, Jeannie. Hugs.

*****


Update:

I sent Jeannie a copy of the cartoon, and she responded resiliently:

"Steve, Thank you so much. I appreciate you reaching out. One thing that might help, do you have any photos that might help me make sense of the’when and where’ of my life that is such a mosh right now? I need them dated.

"Jeannie"

"Visit my blog by clicking here: www.schulzmuseum.org/jeanschulz"


Yes, ma'am! :)

I wrote back:

"Yes, I have photos—of you and me, in particular. I will check the dates.

"Hugs, Jeannie, real big hugs."



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2017 03:10PM by steve benson.

Steve, what a great tribute. I read about it this morning, how heartbreaking. Just glad she is safe, at the end of the day, stuff is stuff.

Wonderful cartoon. I love the expression on Snoopy's face :)

+1 !!!

I live very close to the Atlas Fire in Napa and Solano Counties, only 4 miles away. We are safe and will remain safe, I hope. However, we have so many friends who have lost everything. My heart is broken. Our piece of paradise is gone. We so appreciate all the good wishes and help from everyone. We even have firefighters from Australia and Canada, and from all over the country. We are truly pulling together, even ICE has suspended operations in the area. Undocumented people had been afraid to go the shelters or ask for other help.

Sorry if this incoherent; no one is sleeping well, if at all.

We're on the other side of the Sacramento River from you but we get a lot of the smoke. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be that close.

Please stay safe, BrightAqua!

Keeping fingers and toes crossed that they get better handles on this before the winds pick up tonight.

Yes indeed. Follow the news closely because they're saying it's not over yet with more winds on the way. People still evacuating in places where flames haven't yet reached.

I am obsessed with keeping up with the latest info.

Thank you so much for your concern.

Nicely done, Steve.

The folks in the North Bay are going to be suffering for a long time. One of the consumer reporters on TV said it could be 2 or more years before most folks get rebuilt. I did like the resiliency of one couple. They were looking for ceramic pieces in the rubble of their home so she could make a stepping stone for the entrance of their new home when they rebuild. It didn't look like there was too much left of their home that was recognizable.

Oh, no. That is sad.

I'm glad that Mrs. Schultz has you in her corner!!

The cartoon is beautiful.

Oh how sad.

I'm glad she made it out alive.

Excellent.

TG

You can draw, Steve, obviously. But the best of the best of the best of your work/you is in the sad times and the bad times when your art evokes such poignancy. Especially as you do it with so few words. The agony, and the ecstasy. It's lovely how artistic endeavours, music, drama and yes, even 'toons, rise above. I still think of your Japanese lady from the nuclear incident. I sometimes wonder how the ideas/images come to you. Maybe it's like an author coming up with a new plot never before contemplated. A spark of inspiration and a whole bunch of creativity.

I have loved Peanuts with a deep and abiding love since forever. I am so sorry to hear of Mrs. Schulz's sad loss and difficulties. I can relate to her plea for photographs. It's the memories that are so important.

I have a friend (formerly of this board) who lives close to the wildfires in CA. I was out of my mind with worry over the weekend as I couldn't contact him via email. Fortunately, we connected via FB as it turned out his email was out (tech issue). That helps to bring it home, how anxiety provoking these massive and tragic events are, especially if families can't contact each other.

I'm glad to read that Canada has sent firefighters to assist. We watch what's going on and long for a way to help. We agonize with our fellow beings for the tragedy that befalls them.

I'm so sorry about the Schulz homes. It was lovely that you could reach out directly and produce such a great gift.

Thinking about all those in both our countries who have had a very tough year so far. So glad for those who survived and so sad for those who have not.

Life can be so cruel and arbitrary. All we can do is walk alongside others who are going through hell, whenever we can.

in the newspapers on a regular basis. He also said that's why folks called him "a son of obituary."

Jeannie would have liked him. :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2017 10:45PM by steve benson.

That was a poignant tribute to them. That thoughtful cartoon will be very important to the entire family the rest of their lives, I'm sure.
She sounds amazing.

I'm glad they got out.

I suspect there will be more reports of elderly folks who didn't make it out when they reconcile the growing list of missing persons.

So sad that has happened.

She's a wonderful combination of grit and graciosness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2017 10:59PM by steve benson.

Steve, the cartoon is a wonderful tribute to her, the fire fighters, and Charles’s work. Best wishes, The Boner.

That is great. Nice of you to do. Hearing the sad news about the home of such a beloved American was heartbreaking.

That's so sad; her whole life was probably in there. I'm glad that a lot of his work is preserved in a museum. You're an amazing artist. She's still active and seems like she still has fun. She sounds like a sweet and fun lady to be around. I've always liked Peppermint Patty and Snoopy, especially when he's fighting the Red Baron

. . . in downtown Santa Rosa. There are stored and displayed his life work of original comic strips, combined with organized tours and community projects designed for interacting with Santa Rosa's residents, young and old alike.

Schulz had a small studio in his home that was lost to the fire but he did most of his daily drawing downtown. Several years ago, he had a hockey rink built for his fellow Santa Rosans. It's one of the most popular community activity centers in the city. Youth leagues practice and play there, and it has hosted ice skating shows and competitive hockey tourneys.

Schulz would go to the rink almost every day, get himself a cup of coffee at its restaurant, then sit down and quietly watch his friends and neighbors play hockey through a large pane window that looked out on to the rink.

After about an hour, he would then go to his work studio, which was a short walk away and spend until about 4 in the afternoon behind his closed studio door, working on ideas and drawing up his Peanuts comic strips.

I've been to that small studio with Jeannie and have sat in Schulz's chair behind his art table. What an honor and memory that was.

In a bizarre irony, Schulz had a popular nickname that he carried throughout his life, until he died in 2000. It was "Sparky." Seriously.

And, yes, Jeannie is an amazing ball of kinetic energy and a whole lot of fun. She has a tender heart and steel-trap mind. She is a cherished friend.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2017 10:54PM by steve benson.

Building a hockey rink was a lovely thing for Mr. Schulz to do. A great activity for kids, old and young.

Thanks for telling us even more things about the great Charles; I didn't know about the ice rink. It sounded like a nice place for him to relax , before going to his studio.
The little kids , around 3-4 are really cute. They can barely walk, and they're already on the ice , learning to skate.
I wonder if Charles got Zamboni rides. I still want to do that.
Now I know why they created "Snoopy on ice".

That'll make a cool picture for her upcoming book, if the picture of it ( if she had any) wasn't lost in the fire. I wonder if she ever rode in the seat next to him.

https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/mark-fiore-drawn-to-the-bay/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2017 11:01PM by steve benson.

Thanks, Steve! I was wondering where Fiore went. Glad to see he's still drawing...or writing...whatever cartoonists call what they do!

Mark recently completed a stint as the president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. He proved to be a great coalition builder and effective manager of disputes--which, in the cartoon world of a bunch of eccentric, disconnected, bull-headed creative types, was quite the feat.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2017 01:33AM by steve benson.

Nothing is going to replace all the cherished memories Mrs. Schulz had in the loss of her home to fire.

At her age I hope she gets through the emotional toll this is going to take on her, not just the physical.

One of my neighbors who was ten years younger than Mrs Schulz, lost her house to a fire six years ago. She escaped with her life, but her health went rapidly downhill from there and she passed away soon thereafter.

Everything she owned was destroyed in her house fire. All her cherished family photos, children's mementos, etc. It was too much for her to bear as her health was already in decline.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2017 02:04PM by Amyjo.

She is one tough cookie who knows how to focus, how to get things done, how to deal with adversity and disappointment, and how and when to move forward.

She has been working on the biographical story (in book form) of her life with Charles Schulz, as his spouse and personal/business partner and adviser. She has run certain ideas by me, particularly as they relate to describing Schulz's anger about Christian religious fanatics hijacking his comic strip in order to advance their own theological agendas. I have listened intently and admirably as she has recounted those experiences, while at the same time not telling her what to write. I have given her my input when she has asked for it, but Jeannie doesn't let anyone tell her what to do or say.

I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, but I don't see her giving in and dying anytime soon--especially from emotional heart failure. Her heart is too strong for that.

Plus, she's still got a lot to do.



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2017 03:57PM by steve benson.

Besides her physical family by blood, she has lots of other " family" that she hasn't met, who are pulling for her and sending their love and wishes. I know she'll never get over Charles, nothing will replace him , or some of the precious things lost in the fire.
I can't believe that she can't sue others who use her and Charles's private property for their own good , especially making the Peanuts characters do and say things against their characters, or what the creators believed in. That's stealing, blasphemy towards them. I hate that sort of thing. I'm sure she eouldnt mind the Peanut characters made to do good things.
I thought you'd need permission from the creators for that sort of thing,
Well, I hope she gets the book out and doesn't forget anything, I'd put in a couple of chapters , putting the culprits out in the open. He's touched a lot of life's, so that alone will give the book plenty to write about