Jeeze

Have you ever wondered how the word "Jeeze" became popularized in the American vocabulary?

My groundbreaking theory includes frustrated christians who wanted to scream "JESUS!" but then remembered to Never Take The Lord's Name in Vain even when walking behind a 92 year old at the post office or reading a long, run-on sentence and thus had to settle for a harsh whispering of "Jeeze.. just end it already."