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Current status: The Tru Vu Drive-In no longer exists as a drive-in theater.

Tribute to a Picture Show Lady - - Barbara “Jeanne” Dewsnup - January 2, 1943 ~ April 9, 2019

Longtime Delta resident, Barbara Jeanne Dewsnup passed away early Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at Community Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. She was 76 years old.

Private memorial service was held. Jeanne’s favorite place was the TruVu Drive In, watching a movie under the stars. A date will be announced later this summer for the community to come and enjoy a free movie in her memory.”

Barbara Jean “Jeanne” Smith was born January 2, 1943 to Milvin and Barbara (Thornley) Smith in Payson, Utah. She spent her childhood and attended school in Santaquin City, UT, she graduated from Payson High School with the class of 1961.

On October 27, 1965 Jeanne married Stanley J. Dewsnup in Las Vegas, NV. The couple moved to Delta in 1968. The couple had the honor of sharing 39 years of love and marriage before Stanley passed away in January 2005.

Stan and Jeanne moved to Delta after purchasing the Egyptian and Big Sky. They later purchased the TruVu from good friend Fred Chubka when he retired

Jeanne worked seven nights a week right up until her death. She loved going to work and chatting with her customers. She had been in business so many years that she knew generations of locals by name.

Jeanne loved the drive in theatre best.

She liked the action of walking up and down the rows, shining her flashlight in cars to see what the kids were doing in the back seat. Jeanne easily walked the fine line between keeping order and still being cherished by all.

Few people knew that in the off season she enjoyed traveling. She had been to every continent aside from Antarctica. She also enjoyed rock concerts; among her favorites were The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Diamond.

Jeanne was an avid reader and coffee drinker; she always had a pot of coffee going at the theater and she would grab a book and a cup and wait for the movie to get over. She was a true animal lover, quietly donating to numerous animal charities around the world. She was a woman with no fear, learning to swim in her 40s so she would be able to go snorkeling and scuba diving during her travels.

She also obtained her pilots license. Jeanne was very proud that she was honored to be the Grand Marshall at the 2018 Deltarado Days.

Jeanne is survived by her daughter, Kelly Iniguez and her husband Jacinto; three sisters, Sara Brown, Beverly Mower and her husband Paul, and Lucy Vengrow and her husband Michael. She is further survived by two grandchildren, Luis Iniguez and his wife Linnea and Julia Marcela Iniguez.

Jeanne was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and a sister Frances Tanner. - Notes by High Country Spotlight

Contributed by Greg Lynch -