Janice Kay “Jan” Delaney was born July 8^th, 1941 at Flora, Illinois.  She was the eldest of four children born to Robert Francis Delaney and Helen Gladys Boze.  Jan received her education at Flora, where she graduated from high school in 1959.  She continued her schooling at the McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois before transferring to the George Peabody Teacher’s College in Nashville, Tennessee.  After earning her degree, Jan taught high school English for two years in Louisville, Illinois.  She then moved to North Dakota to work in the library at Dickinson State College for two more years.

     In 1970 Jan came to Montana where she taught school at Plains, Cut Bank, Inverness, the Gildford Colony, and the Sage Creek Colony.  She “fell in love with the Hi-Line” and made her home in Rudyard during the next 30 years.  During the summer months or when she wasn’t teaching, Jan stayed busy delivering newspapers, selling books, running a hobby greenhouse, doing contract cleaning, and managing a local restaurant.  She loved genealogy & history, so she became very active in researching local historical events.  Jan & her Rudyard friend, Lydia Langel, who were like daughter and mother, travelled up-and-down the Hi-Line to document these interesting stories.  Together, they identified all of the burials at the Rudyard Cemetery and solicited donations to provide headstones for all of the “unmarked” graves.  Jan was also instrumental in acquiring the old Railroad Depot in Rudyard and soliciting funds to have it relocated & remodeled to house the site of the present Rudyard Museum.  She spent countless hours on this project with other Rudyard friends to make this the wonderful facility it is today!

     In 2000 Jan moved to Teller, Alaska to work as a teacher in the Bering Strait School District.  During her 14 years there, Jan continued to travel to Montana in the summers to renew old friendships.  She enjoyed spending time at her home in Rudyard and at her little “getaway” trailer in Plains.  Jan kept up on local events through e-mails, phone calls, & news publications.  In addition she wrote a weekly article for the Liberty County Times (Chester, MT) and the Clay County Republic (Flora, IL) newspapers; this article was called “North from Alaska” where Jan shared interesting tidbits about her new life & friends in the north country.

     During her time in Alaska, Jan developed a close relationship with a fellow-teacher, Pamela Haugan and her family, who hailed from Watford City, N.D.  When Jan completed her Alaskan teaching contract in 2014, she accepted a teaching position at Parshall, N.D. (which is near Watford City).   While there she continued to write an article called “Around the Edges” for the Liberty County Times, which kept her Hi-Line friends informed about the Bakken oil boom in western North Dakota.  Because Jan developed recurring health issues secondary to her breast cancer, she finished her final school year at Parshall this spring. 

     Over the years Jan made several memorable trips to Rudyard, England to research & meet the ancestors of the families who settled in Rudyard, Mt.   This past June she was fortunate to take one last trip to England for a special celebration and to say farewell to the many friends she made over the years.

     Jan returned to her home in Rudyard with her friend, Pamela, who assisted with her medical needs and helped plan her final details.  Jan died peacefully, knowing she lead a full & active life, at her home on Friday evening (October 16^th, 2015).  She was 74 years old.

     Jan was baptized in 1957 at the Charley Brown Memorial Park in Flora, Illinois.  She maintained a private & quiet spirituality throughout her life.

     Jan’s love of people, genealogy, history, writing, and travelling was well-known.  She enjoyed attending TOPS meetings & coffee klatches with her many Hi-Line friends.  She was also an avid reader who was always eager to learn.   She loved to travel “the country back roads” to experience new sceneries & adventures.  She was a selfless woman who felt blessed during her lifetime, so she believed & practiced in the concept of “paying forward”.  She will be missed…

     Jan was preceded in death by her parents, a brother (Robert Delaney), and a half-brother (Gene Vaughan).

     She is survived by a sister, Lora Jane Delaney of Clay City, IL; a brother, Don Delaney of Flora, IL; a half-sister, Ella Cook of Herrin, IL; and several nieces & nephews.

     Jan was cremated per her wishes with arrangements by Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester.

     A graveside memorial service was held at 2:00 p.m. Monday (Oct. 19^th) at the Rudyard Cemetery.  Personal remembrances were shared by Pamela Haugan, Calvin Haugan, Roger Bak, Jason Stahl, and other friends.  Musical tributes provided by Pamela included “How Great Thou Art” & “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow”.   A coffee hour provided by Hi-Line friends & the Gildford Colony followed at the Rudyard Senior Center. 

     Per Jan’s request, a portion of her ashes were buried in Rudyard on the grave of her friend, Lydia Langel.  The remainder of her ashes will be buried in the Delaney family plot at Foster Hill (Mt. Zion) Cemetery, Clay City, IL.