Jean Maggie Costache was born November 23, 1934, to Cornelius and Cora (Van Roekel) Schimmel, in Tracy, Iowa.

Jean grew up in the Tracy area and was a 1952 graduate of Tracy High School. Jean worked as an office manager in Chicago until 1959, when she moved to California to work in a real estate office. On December 26, 1980, she was united in marriage to George Costache. After his passing, Jean moved to Pella in 2003 to be closer to family and worked for Walmart. In her spare time, Jean enjoyed playing cribbage and backgammon.

Those who will cherish her memory are her sisters: Hendrena "Dody" and Leland Braun of Prairie City, and Wilmena "Willa" Branderhorst of Pella; sisters-in-law: Zelda (Ron) Rozenboom of Rose Hill, and Wilma (Schimmel) Beyer of Pella, and many nieces and nephews.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband George, her parents, her brothers: David Schimmel and Henry Schimmel; and brother-in-law: Gerrit Branderhorst.