Janice Kaye Hiser

April 5, 1944 – Jan. 8, 2025

Our loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Janice Kaye Hiser, 80, passed on peacefully on the morning of January 8, 2025, at her home surrounded by family. She entered our Savior’s arms following a courageous battle with cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Janice was born on April 5, 1944, in Winslow, Arizona, to Edward and Vera Dean Cochran. She had many fond memories of playing with her older sister, younger brother and neighborhood children. She also enjoyed exploring the natural wonders of Arizona. Janice graduated from Winslow High School in 1962.

Janice met the love of her life, Roger Hiser, in Flagstaff, Arizona, while she was attending Northern Arizona University. Roger managed the university cafeteria and Janice was a student. They were married on August 15, 1964, in Winslow. 

Janice and Roger lived in Texas and Alabama, where their first four children were born. After a brief stint in California, Janice and Roger moved their family to Oregon, where nine more children were born. That’s right! Janice and Roger brought thirteen children into this world. After twenty years in Oregon, the family moved to Lovell in the summer of 1993. This is where Janice remained until her passing.

Janice loved her Savior, Jesus Christ. She instilled her love of Him in her children. Janice and Roger joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while they lived in McAllen, Texas, on January 28, 1969. Their marriage was later sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple on June 19, 1970. She remained a faithful member of the church for the remainder of her life. Her legacy of living with Christlike attributes continues to inspire her posterity.

Janice shared her love of family outings with her children. So many memories were created, and patience and forgiveness were learned on these long road trips with a van full of kids excited for the next adventure. She saved money throughout the year to fund our trips around the western United States. It became a family joke (after Dad told us) that mom saved money for the trips by rolling cash into her socks and then returned the socks to her sock drawer for safe storage. Apparently, no one borrowed her socks.

Janice embodied the meaning of a lifelong learner. She was an avid reader. It was commonplace to find her unwinding at night by reading after the whirlwind of the day had subsided. Janice showed her family that you could do hard things and succeed by returning to college while being a full-time mother, full-time student, holding a part-time job and graduating summa cum laude from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education.

Janice taught her children the value of hard work and the importance of providing service to others. Many days were spent with her children harvesting fruits and vegetables from the family garden and u-pick orchards and gleaning fruits and vegetables from area farms and orchards for the purpose of canning and drying the harvest. A lot of the canned and dried goods were stored for future use by the family, and some goods were shared with others less fortunate than us.

Janice was especially resourceful in supporting her ever-growing family. The local paper featured her family of 11 at the time getting by on $200 a month in groceries. The article talked about how the family bought items in bulk, made meals from scratch, used canned fruits and vegetables and coupon shopped.

We will forever cherish the memories we have of our beloved mother, Janice Kaye Hiser.

Janice was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Vera Dean Cochran, brother Edward Cochran, granddaughter Tessa Jue, mother-in-law Fern Shrader, sister-in-law Colletta Bacon, nephew Robert and niece Donna.

Janice is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Roger Hiser; children Kerry McConathy, Kevin Hiser, David (Jen) Hiser, Linda (Glenn) Brennan, Teresa Hiser, Edward (Eddee) Hiser, William (Fara) Hiser, Susan (Neil Fettig) Fink, Stacey (Michelle) Hiser, Steven Hiser, Natalie (Bob) Jensen, Brian (Pamela) Hiser and Pamela (Nick) Davis; 30 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; sister Carole; nieces Lynn and Kelli; and nephew Matt.

Visitation will take place Monday, Jan. 20, at 9 a.m. in the West Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center in Lovell. Funeral services will follow at 10 a.m. in the East Chapel, with a procession and burial following at the Lovell Cemetery. 

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