Janice Polly Landon was born on August 28, 1956. She was the oldest of five daughters born to Bert and Sheryle Landon. She was the typical oldest child, having lots of responsibilities and she wore this mantel well. She grew up on a 2 1/2-acre place on Aguirrie Road. She had many different responsibilities here on the acreage. Just to name a few she helped with the milking of both the family milk cow and goats, she took care of a myriad of animals on the place, making sure the water troughs were full, and she became very proficient with a pitchfork carrying hay flakes at feeding time. Even in later years when living next door to dad and mom she was still carrying that pitchfork around helping them with their animals. She had a horse named Jewel that she spent countless hours working in the arena training and practicing preparing for show time, classes ranging from showmanship all the way to reining classes. She traveled with her family to many horse shows in the area or neighboring states. Her walls were filled with ribbons and trophies. She participated in the 4-H program from the time she was eight years old until she graduated high school. The clubs she participated in are too many to mention. Jan attended Mtn. Home High School and was involved in so many different activities and clubs. As a member of the Deca Club she was given the opportunity to travel to cities across the United States. This gave her opportunities to develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills which Jan would put to use in so many ways in her lifetime. After graduation she attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. From there she would go to the state of Washington to attend a Nursing Program. Little did she know at the time how many countless lives she would touch through nursing. She not only worked in hospitals, but also in the prison system, she worked on the Duck Valley Reservation and while there also learned how to write grants, she did home health in Beverly Hills, California and later in in Sun Valley, Idaho. She worked in a special “End of Life Care” in Reno, Nevada were her gentle nature helped families during this difficult time. She held our hands as we went through both our fathers and mothers’ deaths. She softened the “sting of death” for all of us. Due to her many years of work experience we were able to keep our mother at home and Jan did her dialysis treatments every night. The loving care she gave our parents can never be calculated, it was immeasurable, it was true Christ-like love and we as sisters can never praise her enough for that. She was the light that shined in our darkness. Jan loved her nieces and nephews, always wanting to know what they were doing in their lives. Every year a Christmas ornament would arrive at their door or in their mail. She wanted them to have something to put on their Christmas trees when they are left home. When they needed help with job applications, scholarships, etc. She was there helping them to dissect it and rewrite it. I remember when I went back to full-time work after 30 years of raising a family, she was there to help me do my resume. When we finished with it, I was amazed that she could make me look so outstanding!! One of my sisters said recently “it was like she was the new AI Chat. Jan was very creative and loved decorating for the holidays, rather it was her own home or someone else’s. She was also very crafty and always had some kind of project going on. She loved crafting with her friends in Mtn. Home and Gooding. We don’t have enough time to tell all the amazing things she’s done but her younger sisters have described her with some of the following words, “She was a confidant and the best at being the older sister, always, always so appreciative whenever something was done for her. She was very protective of her family and was always there to give help when needed. She had an amazing memory and was well read; it seemed like anything you had a question about a topic you could always call Jan, and she would know something about it and if she didn’t, she’d find out. She was involved in her church, her community, her workplace and her families’ lives helping in countless ways. We each in this room have our memories, stories and experiences with Jan that will live on with us and our lives are better because we knew her. In closing I’d like to say that Jan knew without a doubt that she was a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father who loved her, and she loved Him. Her life emulated that love and respect. She stood as a witness of her Savior, Jesus Christ. She walked his paths and shared His Christ-like love with others. Her foundation was firm, and she understood who she was, why she was here and where she was going when she passed through this life. I’m so thankful for the big sister who lighted my way. Who loved me and my family with unconditional love. A sister who was such a giver and a light to others. The Landon girls have always stuck together through thick and thin. Our parents loved us and taught us to love each other and to be there for one another. They also taught us that if there is a problem, to figure it out and not to get stuck in it. To keep moving forward and let our light shine. These last few weeks have been tender ones for us girls, but we came together as mom and dad would have wanted us to and we were always united and in agreement in the decisions made for Jan. “One of the doctors commented to a sister about how curious we were to him. He couldn’t get over how nice we were to each other, no pettiness, how we discussed and thought through what would be most valuable to Jan. He had just seen so many people squabble over crumbs, he said we were the oddballs. I would like to say something to my sisters in the audience. I know Dad, Mom, and Jan are looking down upon you and I believe if they could say something to you in person as they have watched your loving tender care of Jan over the last few weeks it might be something like this: Dad would say, “Sis, you done good”, Mom would say, I just couldn’t ask for anything more from my girls, and Jan would say in her typical fashion when you were helping her with something , “I’m so sorry to put you out, you are so good to me, I can’t thank you enough and our reply back to her would be, we love you Jan, we are sisters, we are the Landon girls, it’s what we do. If Jan could leave you in the audience today with some parting words I believe it would be something from the lines of this song. Hey you guys! I’m going home, going home, I am going home. Quiet like, some still day, I am going home. It’s not far, just close by through an open door. Work all done, care laid by never fear no more. Mothers there expecting me, Fathers waiting too. Lots of faces gathered there, all the family and friends I knew. I’m Just Going Home. No more fear, no more pain, no more stumbling by the way. No more longing for the day, going to run no more. Morning star lights the way restless dreams are gone, shadows gone, break of day, real life has begun. There’s no break, there’s no end just living on. Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on, going on and on. I’m finally going home. Going home, I am going home. Shadows gone, break of day, real life has begun.