I first met Jean when I came out to Palm Springs to visit my mother.  She told me that her neighbor was a movie star and because I always went to the movies, I should know her.  Well, I didn't.  Jean lived across the street and came over for coffee.  I had lived in West Germany for so many years that I just didn't recognize her.
In 1995, my wife and I spent the weekend with her in Grand Rapids, MI.  That reunion of the Andy Griffith characters was real nice.
In 2001, we moved out to Palm Springs and became Jean's neighbors.  My wife had to return to Michigan on family matters.  One day, Jean asked me to be her escort to the amateur oscar night here in the desert.  She told me I had to rent a Tux because it was such a night.  I paid out $140 for the tux and escorted Jean to a nice evening.  I was the only one present in a tux.  I did get to meet several people of fame but it sure wasn't worth $140. I met Marlene Dietrich's daughter and that was that.  Since 2001 until her death, I helped Jean with many a handy man fix-em-upper.  We had to take her to the emergency room several times because of her heart too.  Like so many, my wife and I miss her already.
One more little tidbit about Jean and me.  Several years ago, her old car finally gave out and Jean was left without any form of transportation.  I had the idea of a commercial.  I wrote a sort of script having her speeding through Mayberry in a new Saturn convertible.  As she whizzed bye Barney standing on the corner, she waved.  He sort of took it as a challenge.  He jumped in his old beat up squad car and gave chase.  He finally caught up to the convertible and pulled it over.  AS he walked up to the side of the convertible, his old flame turned and said, 'HELLO DOLL!"  I was hoping she might get a car out of the deal if any followed.
I submitted my idea to the advertising people at Saturn and got the answer back, not interested.    
The memorial for Jean was really nice.  Tracy released six white doves and they circled overhead for some time before flying off.

Just want to say my part.

Peter M. Olsen
pistolpete1938@aol.com
26 Sahara St.
Palm Springs, CA 92264