Jesse William Hatfield, 96, of Winfield, Kansas, passed away Wednesday evening, June 5, 2024, at Cumbernauld Village.
Jesse was born February 19, 1928, to Harry and Dorothy Hatfield in Belle Plaine, Kansas attended by Dr. Barlett (Bartlett Arboretum) in the family farmhouse east of town.  He grew up working on the farm through the Depression and loved to race his horse in high school.
As Jesse's adult life took shape there are many stories to tell. The first (and last) is his loving marriage of 75 years to Jessie Nelle Morgan.  Jesse and Jessie were raised five miles apart in Belle Plaine and Udall, Kansas.  They married January 23, 1949.
Jesse is the loving father of six and their spouses: Penny and John Blair of Black Diamond, WA, Bill and Joletta Hatfield of Issaquah, WA, Rex and Shawn Hatfield of Covington, WA, Jeff and Jana of Belle Plaine, KS, Joe and Jennifer Hatfield of Seattle, WA, and Teague and Tami Hatfield of Bend, OR.
Jesse and Jessie started married life in Belle Plaine before moving to, in order, San Diego (during his service in the Navy), back to Belle Plaine, Lawrence, KS, Redding, CA, Kent, WA, Cedar Rapids, IA and back to Kent before moving to Cumbernauld Village in Winfield Kansas in January of 2015.
Jesse's career was primarily split between Rexall Drug Company, where he worked his way from sales representative to Midwest Regional Vice President, and Boeing where he spent 20 plus years. He worked many jobs as a young man prior to these careers, and continued working in some capacity into his 80's.
The Methodist church was an important part of Jesse and Jessie's community no matter where they lived. He was a highly engaged member of the congregation in Kent United Methodist Church from the 1970's through 2015 and involved at Grace Methodist in Winfield since 2015.
Driving and travel was a constant in Jesse's life - whether it was endless road trips between wherever they lived and Kansas to visit family, attend high school reunions, and help with harvest, driving for his sales job with Rexall, delivering cars for Northwest Fleet Lease, or daily drives through the Kansas countryside with Jessie since living at Cumbernauld, Jesse's favorite place might have been behind the wheel. His last drive was only six days before he died.  On the travel front, Jesse and Jessie went to a timeshare at Lawai Beach Resort on Kauai for 30 straight years and by the end would stay several months and volunteer weekly at the Kilauea LightHouse.  There were many more trips including cruises with friends and family, camping trips, houseboat trips, a bucket list trip rafting the Grand Canyon, and a Kansas Honor Flight to Washington DC in 2015.  Jesse liked to GO!
When Jesse and Jessie moved from the Seattle area to Cumbernauld in their mid-80's he didn't expect to live another 9 plus years.  That time and good health provided another community for Jesse and he enjoyed the people who lived there and especially appreciated the caregivers. His kids would marvel when Jesse, even at 96, could walk through those halls and know most everyone who worked there by name and often knew their families as well.  As Jessie's health failed and she moved from their apartment to assisted living and health care, Jesse was her faithful servant and spent much of his day with her, going on their daily drives, and helping to make sure she was comfortable.
Jesse is survived by his wife Jessie, his six children, and grandchildren JB, Shona, Amanda, Jesse, Joel, Angela, Morgan, Jeremy, Jessica, Adam, Ryan, Lindsay, Teague, Carson, Sam, and Hannah, and a boatload of great-grandkids (23).
Jesse left a legacy that his family couldn't be prouder of.  His kindness and caring for all those he encountered was unique and will be missed.
Memorial services will be held at 9:00 A.M., on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Miles Funeral Service.  Interment will follow at Belle Plaine Cemetery.
A memorial has been established in Jesse's name for the Kansas Honor Flight.  Contributions may be made through the funeral home.

Services will be livestreamed and may be viewed at the following link: