Janice Montgomery

Janice Claudine Bottorff Montgomery was a true matriarch and queen to her posterity. She was sharp, funny, patient, generous, and had a kind soul. She passed away on March 24, 2022 in Logan, UT with family around her. She was preceded in death by her parents, older sister Jean Middagh, her husband Dr. Raymond G. Montgomery, and her son Jon Lake Montgomery. She is survived by: her remaining 10 children - Raymond Lane Montgomery, Janea Montgomery, Shaun (Esther) Montgomery, Ynette (Stephen) Marx, Joni (Dale) Hatch, Anean Christensen, Elean Happi (Douglas) Williams, Monae (Christopher) Madson, Charl Montgomery (Robert Williams), Chandrei (Tyler) Seamons - along with 34 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren.

She was born on February 5, 1938 in La Junta, Colorado to Bertha and Claude Bottorff. Her love of animals and all things medical began at the beginning. In her early years she had pet sheep and other animals, which she bandaged and cared for thoroughly. In high school, Jann was an excellent student who was very musically inclined and even played in a dance band. In fact, she played several instruments and became a gifted pianist before heading off to Colorado State University, where she studied Chemistry (pre-medicine) as she wanted to become a doctor. She was enjoying those college days when she met dad - Dr. Raymond G. Montgomery - a handsome young veterinarian, finishing up his schooling and getting ready to move on. He was quite charming; they soon married and began their large family and his veterinary practice.

Jann became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after meeting dad and remained actively involved in The Church throughout the remainder of her life, even serving a full time mission after her husband passed away. Her testimony never waivered. When times were both at their toughest and brightest, mom turned to her beloved Heavenly Father in gratitude and for comfort and direction.

After getting married in 1958, Ray and Jann first moved to Idaho to establish their veterinary practice and start their family. Then, in 1965, with their 5 children, (oldest was 5), they moved to Utah. They ran their new veterinary clinic out of their home until the new hospital building was finished. They went on to have 6 more children. ending up with 7 girls and 4 boys, all of whom are beautiful, brilliant and talented. Though she infused in each a fragile and soft heart, she gave them the strength to endure the hardships life hands us all.

Jann successfully survived all of her children learning to drive. She became an expert laundress, chauffeur, short order cook, Band-Aider, homework-proofreader, parental sports fan, and even made it through 5 teenaged daughters at the same time. Imagine the dentist appointments, practices, forgotten gym clothes, stitches, broken hearts, hamsters, ducks, pigs, horses, shopping, pack meetings, piano lessons, mending, sour violin notes, pep talks, prom dresses, socks to mate, fender benders, spelling lists, science projects, PTA meetings, dozens of cupcakes, lost retainers, missing library books, dance recitals, sibling rivalries, summons to the principal, rushes to the hospital, late nights, early mornings, house fires, dinner experiments, practical jokes, cherry pit-spitting competitions, laughter, tears and un-ending love. Mom loved us all dearly to the day she died. She was proud of each and every one of her offspring and would willingly gush about them all.

She was a wonderful mom. And a phenomenal grandma. Her grandkids KNEW that she loved them. She was patient, and kind, and self-sacrificing to a fault, and wanted nothing more than for her kids and grandkids to achieve their potential. When you felt like quitting, she had a way of making you want to try one more time. And she was a good, true friend. She would help anyone who had fallen on hard times.

She was a lifelong learner, loved family history, and had a passion for the human body. She loved all things animal, medical (or having to do with vitamins, supplements and prescriptions), physics and astronomy - and instilled in many of us the love of math and science, as well. She deeply loved her country and taught her children to respect the flag as her father and her husband went to war to protect what they stood for and she would cry as Old Glory came by at the start of Rodeos and ball games. She was one class away from getting her Gerontology degree from Utah State University in the 90’s. She wanted to learn everything and then share it with all of her family. When she got older, she would often call and recommend whatever she was watching on TV, or a book she was studying. She was always willing to go on an adventure and be an example. Jann was sassy, courageous and fun, yet she was poised and tried to always be a refined lady. She was proud of her heritage and handed that pride to all of her posterity so that they would know where they came from and wanted them to honor that.

Jann wasn’t perfect. She felt undressed if she didn’t have her earrings and lipstick on. And she was always good for a laugh. She loved rum balls, even made with rum extract and rarely stuck to her prescribed diabetic diet. She pounded out the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ on the piano as well as ‘I Walk The Line’. She lost her teeth so often that we threatened to put an eyeglass leash on them. She insisted on too much food storage but it was always to provide for others. She told her cardiologist she loved whipping cream and butter. And she even let her grandkids stand up to look through the sunroof when they drove around the farm in their 1970s Cadillac at the time. She was a marvelous human being in spite of, or maybe because of her infoilables. And let others know they were marvelous too.

Jann had struggled with all things aging as it is hard for any brilliant, talented and strong woman to wane. It was especially scary for her sharp mind to become more and more confused. She hated her memory loss the most. But Mom never whined or got ornery. Mostly, she just got frustrated and anxious with not being able to keep making plans for this middle mortal muddle.

Yes, Jann was—is definitely a true matriarch and queen to her posterity.

We will miss her.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 2, 2022 at the White Pine Chapel, 753 South 100 East in Logan.  A viewing will be held prior to the services from 10:00 to 10:45 AM.  Interment will be in the Clarkston Cemetery.

To view the services via Zoom, please click on the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89619035196