Jessie Amy Root, of Carol Stream, IL, died on Saturday, October 22, 2016 in Winfield, IL. She was born in Fresno, California on October 7, 1919, the daughter of Robert Grant and Jessie Paine. She was the ninth and last born child born into her family. Her father was born in 1856 and was nine years old when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. She grew up in Los Angeles, California where she attended Lincoln High School and later, Garfield High School. She never completed college but did three years of course work at various colleges in Southern California. She proved to be very bright and highly intelligent. She was a lover of books and an avid reader. Her mind was interested in a wide range of topics and subjects though she loved historic fiction.

She worked for many years as a school secretary at various elementary schools in Los Angeles Unified School District, including at Liberty Boulevard Elementary School in South Gate, California and Wilshire Crest Elementary School in Los Angeles. Eventually Jessie became the administrative assistant for the Los Angeles City Unified School District Board of Education. She was married to Chester Eugene Root Sr. for 63 years. They raised their family of four children in Huntington Park, California. Jessie was a life-time member of the PTA and served as President of the PTA at State Street Elementary School in Walnut Park. She and "Chet" retired in Cook, Minnesota in 1992. Faith was always a part of Jessie's life and she was an active member of Maywood First Assembly of God Church in Maywood California, Granada Heights Friends Church in La Mirada California, Whittier Area Baptist Fellowship in Whittier California, and the First Baptist Church of Cook, Minnesota.

Jessie was the mother of four children: Kathy, Chester Jr. (who preceded her in death), Jerry, and Jim. Her son-in-law was Tad (who also preceded her in death) and her daughters-in-law are: Margaret, Claudia, and Merrilee. She has 12 grandchildren: Amy (married to Tim), Mindy (married to Rusty), Greta (married to Jason), Matthew, Liza, Jeremy (married to Michele), Alicia (married to Zach), Grady (married to Leanne), Jeff (married to Jori), Greg, Neil, and Emilee (married to Tracy), and 23 great-grandchildren: Clara (married to Kaz), Lucy (married to John), Grace, Ruby, Anna, Lexee, Addee, Summer, Kayleen, Emma, Boaz, Jakin, Talia Rose, Asher, Eben, Coen, Amalia, Aiden, Karis, Soren, Briley, Everly, and Kysa.

Services are being held at Church of the Resurrection , 935 W. Union Ave., in Wheaton, IL, on Thursday November 3, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. with a graveside service scheduled for Saturday November 5, at 9:00 a.m., at the Cook Community Cemetery in Cook, Minnesota.