Janea Fowles Pixton, 70

Janea Fowles Pixton — a loving wife, a devoted mother, a favorite among grandmas, a caring daughter/sister/aunt, a loyal friend and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What more can be said of a great woman who left an undeniable imprint upon the hearts of everyone she met?

Born on July 10, 1953, in Sandpoint, Idaho, to the proud parents of LaVelle and Evona Fowles, Janea was the youngest of six children. While her family didn’t have much material possessions, they more than made up for it with love in their home. Undoubtedly, Janea knew she had parents and siblings who loved her and that was enough. 

As Janea grew older, she attended Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) in Rexburg, Idaho. One day, her mother wrote her a letter explaining that “Elder Pixton” was going on a church mission and that she should write to him. She knew him but not very well, but mothers tend to always know best, and so Janea began writing the 19-year-old young man. Told in her own words, “A few months later, my roommates and I decided to send boxes of treats to our missionaries. As we stood in line at the post office, worrying about how much it was going to cost to send our small boxes, there was a girl in front of us with a BIG box. As she lifted her box onto the counter, we looked over her shoulder to see where it was going. And there, on the box, was Elder Pixton’s address in Dallas, Texas! Well, I did not send my box and consequently, my letters stopped. Then a couple of years later, Elder Pixton called to invite me to the wedding of a mutual friend in the Arizona temple. I was working in San Francisco, and he was in Washington. So, we met in Arizona and hung out for three days. Following that and after daily phone calls for two weeks, he proposed over the phone! I gave my two weeks’ notice, and two months later, we got married in Salt Lake Temple. With a start like that, I should have known that my life would never be the same! But I knew one important thing: I had found a guy that loved the Lord more than himself … and we both wanted to be Eternal Companions.”

It was a wonderful start to a beautiful marriage that would eventually celebrate 50 years together! And, of course, being married led Janea to become what she desired most in life — to be a mother. Those early years of motherhood were something Janea deeply treasured and cherished, for family was everything to her, and it showed in how she raised her children. Never too tired or busy to bake a birthday cake, sew a new dress or blazer, or shuffle them around to their dance/clogging recitals, cheer, softball and volleyball games, wrestling matches, swim and cross-country meets, Janea always supported her children in their endeavors and made them her top priority. 

And what better place to help raise children than in the kitchen? It was a constant gathering place for her family. On any day, you could find her dressed in an apron, a cup of hot chocolate or black licorice within reach, and with a football game on or Josh Groban music playing in the background while she was either trying new recipes, cooking meals for families in need, making her world-famous cinnamon rolls, hand-dipping chocolates, canning foods and pickled asparagus, making homemade raspberry jam for her homemade bread/rolls, slicing peaches for peaches and cream (with lots and lots of cream), baking German pancakes, or churning homemade ice cream (with lots and lots of cream again). This time spent together as a family became some of their most precious memories.

Now being a masterful chef was just one of Janea’s countless talents and loves in life. She was an experienced gardener, adored kitties, enjoyed being in the sun while reading a good book, relished any shopping spree with her children and grandkids, found creativity and tranquility in making quilts for others, and loved walks on the beaches of Hawaii with her dear husband. 

As years passed and kids grew older, Janea found her next calling in life — that of a grandma. She was the epitome of what every grandma hoped to become. No grandkid’s game was too far away to attend; no new birth passed without a new handmade quilt and a one- to two-week visit so she could help out; no baby blessing or baptism occurred without her in attendance; no birthday passed without a phone call and a present in the mail; no little crying eyes were ever left without a hug; no holiday flew by without a delicious homemade meal cooked with her by your side; and no life lesson was ever taught without her love and patience.

The whole world could be asking for her attention, and yet she made each grandkid feel like they were the only one in the room, the only person who even mattered. The family was her greatest treasure — her everything.

In her later years, it was one of her greatest blessings and joys to serve a church mission with the love of her life, her forever best friend, and her eternal companion, Randall. Together, they served at the Church Headquarters in SLC, Utah, for one year. That was followed by a two-year church service mission at the Family Discovery Center in St. George, Utah, for the last five years. Until her passing, Janea and Randall served as temple ordinance workers in the Spokane Temple. It was the pinnacle of their church service together. They blessed the lives of countless people with their love, kindness, hope, and faith while sharing the beautiful message that families are forever. 

In the Book of Life, it will be easily written that Janea lived a beautiful and exemplary life. Her greatest accomplishments came from being a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. To know her meant to see her smile, to feel her warmth and kindness, and to know you were loved and appreciated in her life.

Janea is preceded in death by her parents, LaVelle and Evona Fowles, her brothers, Dee and Thayne, and her sister, Gaylene.

She is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Randall, and their children and grandchildren: Randy (Karlie Pixton — Peyton and Konner Oberman, Adyson, Hunter); Janell (Victor DeLeon — Devyn and Brooks, Konner, Chase); Danielle (Aaron Gustin — Grey, Swayze, Jersey, Remy, Presley); Nicolle (Jaren Ahlmann — Kennedy, Bentley, Blakely, Kastleton); Kenneth (Megan Pixton — baby girl due September 2024); Kaylee (Luke Watkins — Tynlee, Stetson); and her two sisters, LaRene Black and Karen Liechty.

Janea Pixton’s funeral and burial services are as follows: 

Viewing: Friday, May 31, from 5 to 7 p.m., English Funeral Chapel, 1133 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814

Funeral, Saturday, June 1, Viewing: 2 to 3 p.m., Funeral: 3 p.m. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 477 E. Honeysuckle Ave., Hayden, ID 83835

Burial: Saturday, June 8, at noon at Hooper Cemetery, 5301 S. 6300 W., Hooper, UT 84315

English Funeral Chapel has been entrusted with Janea's arrangements. Visit her online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.