Janice Ward Olaveson

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After a short hospice stay at the Homestead in Rexburg, Idaho, during which family came from near and far to show their love, Janice passed away on March 26, 2022. Janice, the only child of George Bindrup and Ruby Wyatt Ward, was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on September 29, 1934. She spent her first five years on the Ward farm in Iona. The family moved to a new home in Idaho Falls before she began school. She attended Emerson Elementary and O.E. Bell Junior High. She studied piano and dance from a young age and participated in junior high choral groups.

The family moved to a farm in Annis, Idaho, in 1948, while Janice was still in 9 ^th grade. She attend Midway for the remainder of her 9 ^th grade year, then completed her high school education at Rigby High School (graduating in 1952). Janice and her group of Annis friends attended dances weekly, where they met up with the Rigby boys. Eventually, Janice and Dell Denning Olaveson became a couple. Janice’s father then died in March 1952, and Dell took on the responsibility of driving from Rigby to Annis morning and night to do chores for Janice and her widowed mother, Ruby. The young couple took on adult responsibilities and became an eternal family unit when they married in the Idaho Falls Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 16, 1952.

Janice and Dell have nine children: Randy (Debbie), Kristy Allen (Mark), Mark (Bonnie), Brett (Jeri), Mary Dunn (Tom), Alan (Bonnie), George (Rebecca), Cara Barnes (Rod), Jeff (Kendra). The children spent as much time as possible outside: working on the farm, hunting, and fishing on the river (the farm is on the confluence of the Henry’s and South forks of the Snake River), and riding horses on the island. In the early years, family vacations were primarily pack trips in the mountains with 12 to 15 horses. Janice didn’t love horseback riding, but she always went—typically setting the pace on our Arabian stallion, Zaa. As the family got older, they also enjoyed rodeo, team sports, and boating.

With Dell working full-time (on varying shifts) for the AEC (now INL), as well as running the farm and a trucking company, Janice kept the family on track with academics, extracurricular activities, and church. She held many leadership positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Music was her passion. She sang with a women’s choral group, The Chansonettes, when her children were young. She was a wonderful pianist and organist, having played for and accompanied singers at church meetings and funerals for more than 70 years. Two days before she died, she played piano for an hour while some of her children sang hymns and songs from the 30s and 40s.

Janice and Dell served two missions in Nauvoo, Illinois (1998 and 2009). While Dell was caring for and driving draft horse teams, demonstrating blacksmith skills, and excavating Inspiration Point on the banks of the Mississippi, Janice was accompanying performances at the Social Hall and teaching visitors about historic sites and life in the 1840s. The couple also served in BYU-Idaho student ward bishopric.

Janice was preceded in death by her husband, Dell (2019), her parents, brother (Matthew Ward), and grandson (Seth Olaveson). She is survived by her nine children and many grand, great-grand, and great-great grand children. At present, she has 177 living descendants. Funeral services will be held Friday, April 1, 2022, at 11 a.m. at the Menan Stake Center (698 N. 3600 E). Visitation hours are Thursday, March 31, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, April 1, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Interment at Annis Little Butte Cemetery.