On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Janet “Jan” Lane passed away peacefully at home in Blodgett, Oregon, at the age of 83.
Born in Corvallis and raised on the family farm in Blodgett, Jan attended Blodgett Elementary School and graduated from Philomath High School in 1959. While working as an administrative assistant in the Agricultural Economics department at Oregon State University, she met Chuck. They married on April 30, 1966, in Albany, Oregon.
Their adventures together took them first to Saskatchewan and then Alberta, Canada, where they adopted their three children: Christopher, Stephen and Jennifer. Though offered Canadian citizenship, the family chose to return to the United States in 1972, settling in Orem, Utah.
Jan enriched her children’s lives in countless ways, both big and small. She took a job at the local movie theater, ensuring her kids could enjoy countless films together. At Orem Elementary School, she worked in the front office, keeping a watchful eye on her kids while staying closely connected to their daily world. As a Cub Scout den mother, she introduced her boys to the hands-on experiences that nurtured a lifelong love of nature and adventure.
In the late 1970s through early 1980s she transitioned to the deeply meaningful work of helping Cambodian and Laotian refugee children integrate into American life-challenging work that she found profoundly rewarding.
When Chuck’s career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service brought them to Weaverville, California, Jan continued her dedication to education, working in both administration and bookkeeping for the Trinity School District. In 1997, they came full circle, building a home on the family farm in Blodgett to begin their retirement.
Jan’s retirement years were active and engaged. She served as president of the Blodgett-Summit Community Club for nearly two decades, working with the Benton Community Foundation to endow annual scholarships for local students. Together with Chuck, she spent over 10 years collecting recycling at the Blodgett Country Store, where all proceeds went to these scholarships. She also worked as a lunch lady at Blodgett Elementary School for nearly a decade and became the bookkeeper for the family farm.
At Peace Lutheran Church in Philomath, Jan served as financial secretary, treasurer and landscape chairwoman. She was an avid gardener who created and maintained beautiful spaces both at church and at home.
Jan’s passion for travel took her and Chuck to cherished destinations like Ireland and Japan, where they visited multiple times. In Japan, they maintained deep relationships with the families of two foreign exchange students who had lived with them in Utah and California. The extended Watanabe family-sisters Mariko and Eriko, brother Tomo, and five “grandchildren” became valued members of Jan and Chuck’s family.
Jan valued maintaining relationships with friends and family, and her final years were filled with joy, contentment and possibility. She will be deeply missed, but her legacy will live on in those that knew her kindness, generosity, humor and love.
Jan was preceded in death by her parents, Eunice and Walter Hahn; and her husband, Charles “Chuck” Lane. She is survived by her brother, Dale Hahn; three children, Christopher (Erin), Stephen (Carter) and Jennifer (Michael); granddaughter, Cassidy; sister-in-law, Lori; cousin, Muriel; nieces, Sabra and Erin; and nephews, Michael, Scott and Kevin.
A memorial service and celebration of Jan’s life will be held on June 28 at 11 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, Philomath, Oregon. For those unable to attend, the program will be posted afterward at peaceinphilomath.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Jan’s memory to Peace Lutheran Church, 2540 Applegate St., Philomath, OR 97370.
Jan leaves behind a legacy of service and dedication to her community and family.