January 29, 2021 – West Bend, WI – Jean Hauser has fulfilled her passion in life – her passion for flying. One of six girls growing up in Hartford, Jean was born deaf. She attended the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delevan and following graduation Jean worked at Briggs & Stratton in Milwaukee on the assembly line retiring after 40 years.
Jean’s passion for flight came from flying with a friend who was a pilot. “I decided right then I needed to learn to be a pilot. I saved my money so I could take lessons and found a very patient instructor, Ed Emmanuel, at the Hartford airport,” said Jean.
Ed was able to communicate with Jean by finger spelling words one letter at a time. They were a great match and able to learn from each other. “He said if I was patient enough to work with him, he would be patient enough to help me learn,” said Jean. “The trust Ed put in Jean gave her the confidence to earn her pilots license in 1965 and then buy a brand-new Cessna 172.
She bought it in Missouri and flew home to Wisconsin solo. Trips every weekend were not uncommon for Jean. She has flown all over the United States. Her longest trip when she calls the coastal one took her to New York Georgia Louisiana California Colorado and back home to Wisconsin. Her friend Karen would often travel with her. “I was actually surprised Karen wanted to fly with me,” laughs Jean. “You know I’m deaf right.”
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Jean enjoyed snow skiing as well, and would fly her nephews and friends to different ski resorts around Wisconsin and Michigan to ski.