In Loving Memory of Grandma Jan

Janet Sue Corlis Whitaker

Grandma Jan married Grandpa Russ 53 years ago. She has the most beautiful Italian blood in her and I often silently thank her for my curly hair!

At their 50th, wedding anniversary a few summers ago

I love this picture. It is a picture I have in my home. The 3 most favorite & special people in my life are in it.

I LOVE this picture of both Jourdyn and Grandma. They both look so happy and I can feel how much they love each other by looking at it. Also, I can't help but think about how alike their features look in this picture.

This picture was taken at my wedding reception (obviously). I have so much love for my Whitaker family. I have always felt a closeness to them and a desire to be around them that I can't explain. I am so thankful to my Aunts Heidi and Shelley and to my dad for taking such good care of my grandparents the last few months. Heidi was truly an aswer to my personal prayers!

For one of my college graduations, my Grandma Jan gave me a cake decorating kit. The gift was so significant for 2 reasons. The first is that my grandma was the most fancy food decorator. She made the most beautiful cookies and cakes and pies and other treats. The gift came from her heart. The second reason this gift means so much to me is that it has changed my life. This gift help me find a true passion for decorating cupcakes. I have been able to use that gift for good. Most recently I was elected to be a board member of Families Supporting Adoption and I am in charge of food for all Birthparent/Parent activities at our adoption agency. Giving me that gift that meant so much to her has literally changed my life.

After she gave me the decorating kit, I spent a day with her at her house and we played with frosting and sugar cookies. I love this picture because it reminds me so much of her. Her hands are exactly how I picture them in my mind and she is using them to do something she loved that she passed on to me.

One thing I love so much about my grandma is the fact that she was just as independent as she wanted to be. She started her own wedding, catering, reception, gift and floral shop in Bountiful in the old Colonial Square. The name of her business was Colonial Gift. I remember playing at her shop when I was little. As she got older and closed her reception center, she still assembled the most beautiful gift baskets in her shop at home. She would make hundreds of baskets for area schools and hositals for holidays. I remember watching her make beautiful bows by the hundreds in the living room. She would travel to "Market" every year in Vegas/LA to buy supplies to put in her baskets and to order the baskets themselves. Many of our family members have memories of "going to market". If I was as brave as she was, I would have the strength to start a business of my own doing something I love.

Another thing Grandma was famous for were the most elaborate and semi-rediculous Christmases. Because she would have open houses displaying her Christmas baskets, Christmas at her house started in the fall. She would decorate the "play room" upstairs so she could display all of her products and she would have at least 8 Christmas trees around the house that were decorated with a different theme (one with Raggedy and and Andy, one with white birds and feather boas, one with pretty green fairies, etc) and every banister in the house had to be wrapped with garland, lights and ribbon. Nativities and statues must be set out. And no one will ever forget the entire living room that would literally be packed with presents (you can't really believe it until you see it, I will have to find a picture).