(Feb. 10, 1944 - Oct. 11, 2016)
Jana Kay Griffin died Oct. 11, 2016, at the West Park Long Term Care Center in Cody. She was 72.
Jana was born to Charles and Lucyle Boyter in San Bernardino, California, on Feb. 10, 1944, where she was raised along with one older brother, Jim.
While she was attending California Baptist College near her home, she met the love of her life, Harry Griffin, whom she married on Dec. 29, 1964.
Jana’s love for children motivated her to attain a degree in elementary teaching. Jana was an elementary school teacher in Alabama, Iowa, and California while following her husband’s military duty.
In 1982, Jana moved to Cody with her husband and three children (Melanie, Andy and Krista). While Jana was raising her children in Cody, she worked as a coordinator/instructor in adult basic education at Northwest College. She taught in the GED program and was also an ESL teacher and volunteer coordinator. Jana was a faithful student of the Bible. She taught many children’s Bible classes and attended Bible Study Fellowship for many years.
In the last decade of Jana’s life, she took classes on writing poetry, and wrote many poems. Jana also was a wonderful homemaker and loved sewing, decorating, cooking, baking and gardening.
Many remember Jana’s unique gift of clarity and the ability to express the naked insightful truth about issues with a humerous slant. She often said the things that others only thought.
Jana is survived by her husband Harry Griffin; daughter Melanie Griffin; son Andrew (Holly) Griffin; daughter Krista (Aaron) Drendel; grandchildren Leisha Clark, Christopher Clark, Noe Lani Stevens, Austin Griffin, Jackson Griffin, Dawson Griffin, Zavier Drendel and Rio Drendel; nephew Mark Boyter; and niece Roben Grazedei.
She was preceded in death by her brother James Boyter and nephew Miles Boyter.
The funeral service for Jana will take place at Ballard Funeral Home in Cody on Friday, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. An online memorial is available at www.ballardfh.com.