Mary Jane "Janey" Buchanan

                                    Janey Buchanan

                        May 31, 1930- July 12, 2018

Mary Jane “Janey” Buchanan was born the 9th child to Fred Allen Settles and Eunice Annice (Davis) Settles on May 31, 1930 in Aurora, Illinois. She was baptized in the Fox River into the Community of Christ Church and spent her formative years in the Aurora Illinois area. When she was beginning high school, she moved with her father to Yuma, graduated High School in Yuma where she met her life-long sweetheart, Bernerd. The first time she saw Bernerd in church, she commented-‘look at that farmer- wearing cowboy boots to church!’

After graduation from Graceland College with an Associates Degree, she married the ‘farmer’ on August 13, 1950. That lifelong partnership was dedicated to their family, their church and their community. To their marriage were born three children: Shelley Jo, Timothy Ray and Micheal Lane. They loved their children dearly and were supportive of them throughout their lives. The family home was located north of Yuma, where they raised wheat and cattle.

Janey loved so many things, and being a child of the depression, she ‘collected’ everything from teapots to thimbles to Precious Moments to salt cellars to Beatrix Potter. She was always ready for a tea party and shared tea parties with children and adults over many years being famous for her Banana Bread.  She was never too busy to stop for a tea party and loved hostessing parties of any kind.  There cook-outs for friends, birthday parties, themed suppers, progressive suppers, weddings, harvest meals, church dinners-you name it, she loved to make delicious foods for five or fifty-five and had the various silverware and dishes and dishes and dishes to make it happen.

She hosted family and friends from far and near that loved to travel to spend time on the farm. Her immediate family all lived in cities so she often had family visit on the farm and enjoyed sharing that lifestyle with them. Truth be told, she ran a dude ranch/bed and breakfast.

Janey loved to sing all kinds of music and sang for countless weddings, funerals and church solos. But one of her favorite was leading campfires at church reunion, youth camps and girl’s camps – the memory of the some of the fun songs that she loved to sing at campfires are still echoing in our minds.

Janey was a supportive wife, giving her time to Dad and his ministry and opening her home to many people and had friends from far and near.  It wasn’t uncommon for a missionary, pheasant hunter, or someone in need, to be occupying one of the bedrooms.   Even growing up in a home without much Janey determined that monetary items were meant to be shared and would share of herself without reservation. 

Janey taught school at the Blach Schoolhouse as a young bride and as her family grew, she instead taught Sunday School, led Girl’s Groups of Skylarks and Orioles, Bible School, Youth Camp, Church Reunion and in 1970 began working at Morris Primary School with E. Darlene Korf as a reading secretary, testing and tutoring young children to help instill a love and mastery of reading.  During her tenure there, she was involve in a farm accident and lost three fingers and part of her thumb.  Never one to be deterred she learned to write/eat/function with her left hand until her right hand healed.  After the time, when she would meet someone new and shake hands, she would explain that she was ‘a little-short-handed/ to try and put them at ease.  One of her favorite stories, after she returned to Morris Primary, was that the children wanted to make her feel better.  Being of the age of losing teeth, they told her not worry, “her fingers would grow back.”

In 2001 Bernerd and Janey moved into their home in Yuma and became involved in the Library program and Progressive Women’s Club.  She enjoyed these social settings very much.  She was an avid supporter of Old Thresher’s and with her dear friend, Velda Seedorf, stocked and managed the Old Thresher’s store for many years.

After Bernerd passed away in 2010, it became apparent that Janey needed some assistance to live at home and Sherry Glanz was her loving caretaker for 2 years.  She then moved to an assisted Living facility in Arvada, Colorado to be near Tim.  He was faithful in his care for her and visited her every day.

Janey passed away July 12, 2018 at her own room in Nigthingale Lane after a very brief illness in Arvada with Tim at her side and a host of staff that had come to love her dearly. 

Janey is survived by daughter, Shelley Buchanan Spence and her husband, Lyle Spence and grand-daughters Christine Busch and Laura Spence-Newhouse; son, Timothy R. Buchanan and Veronica Sperling, and grandson James T. Buchanan’ son, Micheal L. Buchanan and his Wife Lisa Buchanan, and grandchildren, Carson & Mylinda Buchanan, Michaela Buchanan, Jordan Buchanan, Levi and Kiahla Buchanan, Benjamin Buchanan, Luke Buchanan, Suzanna Buchanan, Rebekah Buchanan, and David Buchanan; new great grandson Michael Buchanan, sister in law, Marlene Brunner, sister in law, Yvonne Simons and her husband, David Simons, and their children, Sindy and Charlie Schwab and their children, many nieces and nephews and a host of dear friends.  All of her siblings, Arnie, Evelyn, Marvin, Orpha, Elma, Veronica, Eljay and Roy predeceased her. 

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you make a donation in Janey’s name to Yuma Public Library, 910 S. Main Street, Yuma, CO 80759, or Crescent Scholarship Fund, Graceland University, 1 University Place, Lamoni, IA 50140.

The funeral service was held on Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the Community of Christ Church in Yuma, Colorado.  Interment followed at the Yuma Cemetery.  Baucke Funeral Home directed the service. 

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