Janet “Jan” Adams

A Celebration of Life for 81-year old Janet “Jan” Adams of Chadron, NE, will be Friday, May 20, 2022 at 1:00 PM at the United Methodist Church in Chadron. 

The family would like you to feel free to wear bright colors or Chadron High, CSC, or Nebraska Cornhusker attire.

Burial will be at the Greenwood Cemetery in Chadron. 

Visitation Monday, May 16, from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM at Chamberlain Chapel in Chadron.

A memorial has been established for the Chadron Volunteer Fire Department and the Senior Center’s Feed a Senior. Donations can be sent to Chamberlain Chapel, PO Box 970, Chadron, NE 69337.

Online condolences may be left at chamberlainchapel.com

Janet R. Adams, was born on April 30, 1941 and passed away peacefully at home on May 6, 2022.

Jan was an only child to Lucille and Clyde Redfern and grew up east of Chadron among aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends that were all neighbors.

She attended Chadron Prep, then went on to nursing school. While nursing in Cheyenne, Wy, Jan met and married Jeffery L. Adams and started a family. Joni was born and 5 years later came Jay. 

After Jay’s arrival, Jan decided to quit nursing and soon started working at Chadron State College. She was known as the voice of the college for 25 years as she ran the switchboard and mailroom. Those jobs allowed her to establish wonderful lifetime relationships with both faculty and students. 

In her free time, she loved hauling Jay and teammates to all the baseball games, going to all the football games, a mother-son bowling league, and dancing every Saturday night.

Jan also had a ceramic shop in her basement for several years, and loved teaching and doing ceramics with whoever wanted to learn. She painted many beautiful pieces, and for a while had a dress shop downtown.

With the beginning of Fur Trade Days, her mother Lucille started the tradition of inviting everyone they knew over to watch the parade and have coffee and rolls. 

After Lucille was gone, Jan continued the tradition with many friends stopping in to say hello and pulling up a chair and catching up. This tradition is always the highlight of the summer and everyone is still welcome.

Retiring around the same time as friends at the college, Jan joined them in forming a group that has met every Thursday morning since. She always looked forward to those mornings to spend time with her friends.

She had great knowledge of the history of this area and between Jan, her mother, and grandmother, there wasn’t anyone they didn’t know. 

They all worked countless hours raising money and helping to put the Dawes County Museum together and getting it going. She continued out there for many years and enjoyed every minute. If the museum ever needed to know anything, they just called Jan. If she didn’t know, she would know who did or would track it down herself.

After retiring from the college, she did caregiving to some elderly ladies that she loved dearly and also ran the GED Program in this area for several years.

Jan also loved spending time enjoying her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved being able to hold every new baby that came and loved them so very much. She was very proud of all of them.

She loved meeting people and making friends everywhere she went and tried to keep in touch with everyone she knew. Even travel plans were arranged so that she could stop and see people along the way that she hadn’t seen in a long time. 

Jan had friends across the nation and around the world, so it didn’t matter how far she was from home, she still ran into people she knew. She was a friend to all and loved everyone very much. Please know that you were all very special to her.

She was a member of the American Legion for most of her life and very involved. She also served with RSVP for 26 years as an official volunteer, but had helped her mother with RSVP for years before that.

She was preceded in death by her mother Lucille, father Clyde, aunt Eleanor Whitzel, and great-grandson Russell.

Jan is survived by son Jay (Danielle) and their daughter Mairead Adams of Seattle, WA; daughter Joni King of Chadron and grandchildren Shanae of Chadron, Brittney (Chris) of Missouri, Alyssa (Allen) of Valentine, and Brady of Chadron, and 6 great-grandchildren.