Jane Lynn, "Janie" Upton, 66, died peacefully and surrounded by her family at her home in Centerville , Utah , on June 2, 2016.

She was born July 10, 1949 in Keokuk , Iowa to Clayton Wayne and Twila Bernice Adams Fulk. She grew up on a farm north of Arbela, Missouri and attended Plum College rural school for grades 1-6. She then transferred to Memphis, Missouri schools and was a 1967 graduate of Scotland County R-1 High School. Janie was extremely proud of her mid-western roots and held a deep respect throughout her life for the farming community and farmland she grew up in. After high school she attended Gem City Business College in Quincy, Illinois.

Her first employment after business college was with Moorman Manufacturing in Quincy and she was later employed as the secretary for the North Elementary School in Memphis, Missouri. It was during her employment at Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville, Missouri, that she met Billy Warren Upton, and the two were married on December 21, 1974 at the Arbela United Methodist Church in Arbela, MO. To this union two children were born, Andy James and Sally Ann. Her husband's work took them to Gunnison, Colorado , where she was employed at Western State College of Colorado ; Moberly , Missouri ; Spring Creek , Nevada , where she tutored English at Great Basin College ; and Centerville , Utah . She was very proud of her dedicated service to educational institutions over the years, but the job she took the most joy and pride in was that of "mom".

To all that knew her, Janie was a gentle, kind, compassionate, and beautiful soul. Her beauty, both inside and out, shined brightly through her simple smile and caring ways. Janie realized her greatest joy while spending time with family and soaking in the beauty of the natural world. She was a Master Gardener and was famous for the beautiful flower beds she planted and cared for. She loved to hike in the mountains and deserts, take drives, find a beautiful perch to watch the sunsets from, and camp. She felt most alive in the great outdoors. She enjoyed all types of music and was a beautiful and spirited piano player. During her younger years, she was the pianist for the Arbela United Methodist Church . Janie fiercely loved her husband, children, grandchildren, parents, and brothers, and she was a loyal friend. She had a wonderful and lively sense of humor and loved to laugh. She also loved to watch the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and NBA basketball. She was profoundly faithful and was a member and Deacon at the Mountain Road Presbyterian Church in Fruit Heights, Utah. She found God in everyday acts of kindness as well as the beauty of mountain wildflowers.

She is survived by her husband, Bill, of the home; a son, Andy Upton and his wife, Emily, of Boise,Idaho; a daughter, Sally Brooks and her husband, Hank, of Ware Neck, Virginia; three grandchildren: Evynleigh Primrose and Berkley Jane Upton and Will Brooks; her mother, Twila Fulk, of Memphis, Missouri; a brother, Joe Fulk and his wife, Lori, of Memphis, Missouri; and two nephews: Michael Fulk of Osage Beach, Missouri and Jordan Fulk and his wife, Tina, of Memphis, Missouri. She is also survived by her father-in-law, Bill Upton, of Kirksville , MO and five sisters-in-law: Vicki and Leonard Clark, Kirksville , MO ; Christina and Dave Hinkle, Canton , IL ; Melissa & Terry Johnson, Lillian , AL ; Melinda and Bob Waddell, Loveland, CO; and Molly Morrow, Memphis , MO ; as well as many other nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Janie was preceded in death by her father, Clayton Wayne Fulk; a brother, Russell Fulk, and her mother-in-law, Marion Lee Upton.

A Memorial Service for Janie will also be held at a later date for family and friends at the Mountain Road Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Fruit Heights, Utah.