Jean Ellen (Buettner) Hodgson died on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at the age of 95. Jean was born in St. Louis and grew up in the Fairgrounds Park area and South City. In 1949, she received her diploma from Lutheran High School, then located at Lake Avenue and Waterman Boulevard, as part of its first graduating class. She attended Valparaiso University briefly and returned to St Louis to work in business. It was through her position as executive assistant to the president of Lincoln Engineering that Jean met her future husband, Charles A. (Bud) Hodgson, whose advertising agency Batz-Hodgson-Neuwoehner (BHN) represented the engineering firm. They married in 1960 and settled in Webster Groves, where Jean would become involved in the Webster Groves School system, serving as room mother for her adopted daughters and working with her husband on numerous campaigns to support funding for the public school system. Jean gave birth to her son, Jeffrey C. Hodgson, in 1962 and redoubled her efforts to support school and community efforts. She was a regular attendee at swim meets at Westborough Country Club and Algonquin Golf Club, where she enthusiastically cheered on her children. She also rose early on many occasions to cook breakfast for the Webster Groves High School boys' swim team.

Jean was a member of Webster Groves Presbyterian Church and, later, Trinity Lutheran Church in Soulard, where she was committed to a life of service to those less fortunate, volunteering for many years in a variety of capacities. Her efforts focused most on the church's free kitchen where anyone in need could receive a free meal and assistance in meeting daily needs.

In 2002, after 50 years in Webster Groves, Jean and Bud moved to Meramec Bluffs in Ballwin, Missouri, where Jean resided for the next 24 years. Again, she became involved in community life, helping to form and run a long-standing and very successful annual rummage sale and joining the water volleyball team, which proudly earned several gold medals at the Senior Olympics.

Jean is survived by her four children-Cynthia (Cindy) A. Sloan of Edmond, Oklahoma, Marilyn (Marny) E. Johnson of St. Louis, Missouri, Kathryn (Kathy) E. Hodgson of Fenton, Missouri, and Jeffrey C. Hodgson of Shelburne, Vermont; five grandchildren-Stephen D. Sloan, Susan E. Kent, Zurn C. Johnson, Dane E. Johnson, and Madeleine C. Betzer; and six great-grandchildren- Jaeden Z. Johnson, Giselle E. Sloan, Cassidy E. Sloan, Liam R. Kent, Pippa E. Kent and Lane A. Johnson. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her sister Dorothy M. (Buettner) Gross and her brother Carl F. Buettner. She is also a dear sister-in-law, aunt, great-aunt, cousin and friend.

Services: A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, 10:30 am at Meramec Bluffs Chapel. Inurnment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Trinity Lutheran Church , 812 Soulard St., St. Louis MO 63104 or to the charity of their choice. As a service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.