Janine "Jan" Smith Halstead

Dec. 22, 1944 - Mar. 22, 2025

Date of Service: Mar. 28, 2025

BURLEY - On March 22, 2025, Janine “Jan” Smith Halstead passed away at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Regional Medical Center in Twin Falls, surrounded by her family that loved her to the moon and back, maybe more like infinity and beyond.

Jan was born Dec. 22, 1944, in Soda Springs Idaho, to Rufus “Dick” and Dora Allsop Smith, joining her with her sister Karen “Sue” on the family farm in Grace, Idaho. Janine “Jan” graduated from Grace High School and then continued her education at Utah State in Logan, Utah. This is where she met the love of her life Ed “Butch” Halstead in a psychology class. Their first date was at the Blue Bird for coffee, they remained best friends and companions for 60 years. We can all hope for a love story as strong as theirs.

Jan and Ed were married on December 18, 1964, in Grace, Idaho. After their marriage, Ed headed to Boot Camp and Jan moved to California living with some of Ed’s relatives the Carthews. Once Ed finished Boot Camp they moved to Colorado Springs, until his overseas deployment. Once Ed/Butch was discharged from the Army they returned to Duckwater where they lived and worked on Ed’s family ranch. They welcomed their daughter Amie Sue Halstead in 1971 and later Emily Jean Halstead -Patterson in 1975.

Soon after moving to Duckwater, Jan along with Marcia Gardner started teaching dance in Duckwater and Ely, although she and Marcia stopped teaching in Ely, Jan continued to teach in Duckwater and was instrumental in many Christmas and Spring productions at the Duckwater Grade School, along with helping many of the kids with various talent shows throughout the area.

Although Jan was always a mother first after her kids were born, she was also Ed’s main hired hand helping him feed in the winter, hauled water to the cows in the flat and was the only one besides him on the ranch who ran the swather in the summers, being an open cab swather she always had a nice tan in the summer. Jan had several jobs while in Duckwater, delivering mail, waiting tables at Current Creek, working for a survey crew, cleaning the school, and was a teacher’s aide working with her sister-in-law, Edna Forsgren.

The 80’s were tough on ranching families and in 1988 the ranch was divided and Ed, Jan and the girls left, moving to Ely as Amie finished High School. Jan went to work at the Great Basin College where she had taken classes to receive her associates degree, she became the coordinator for the Great Basin College Ely Branch. She excelled at this job and enjoyed so much encouraging folks of all ages to get their degree in different fields, or to just come take classes.

In 1991 Ed and Jan purchased the Burley Livestock Commission, Jan and Emily stayed in Ely until school ended in 1992 and again Jan was one of Ed’s main hired hands, when they sold the sale yard. Jan continued working at different places including the Golden Goose, The Up to Top Sandwich Shop, Recollections and Cowboy Tom’s Pancakes. These opportunities allowed her to foster close friendships with many ladies that she was able to go on many adventures with.

Although not excited as she felt she was too young in her mind at the time Jan loved being a grandma to Wytt and later Judd. She and Grandpa traveled to all Wytt’s Football games and wrestling tournaments throughout his high school career and continued to attend to support him as he started coaching both football and wrestling once he started teaching. She was always so excited to go to the fair to watch Judd show a lamb or a steer, and the first one to call to see how his shooting events had gone.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents, Dick and Dora Smith; her sisters, Genee and Karen “Sue”; her aunt’s, AKA the Dolly sisters, Della, Afton, Mady, and Eva; special cousin, Diane Lloyd, one brother-in-law, Alan Forsgren; along with numerous aunts and uncles from both sides of her family; and special friends, Nancy Ketterling, Pam Denton, and Johnny Williams.

She is survived by her husband, Ed; daughters, Amie and Emily; grandsons, Wytt Bedke and Judd Cofer; a special adopted daughter, Brenda Fries; her nieces, Robli (Jeff) Kennedy, Cami (Kyle) Roberts; her nephew, Blaine (LaDean) Andrease; her special cousins, Mark (Bonnie) Gibbs, Sidney Makoff, Evie, Sandra and Eldean; a special group of ladies Mary Kay Garro, Charlotte Armstrong, Susan Berlin, Bev Harmon, Jody, Marcia and Dee Horton.

Through all of Mom’s trials she never complained and always lived life to the fullest. Although our hearts are breaking we know you are with us and that we will see you again.

A visitation for family and friends will be held from 5 until 7p.m. Friday, March 28, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, located at 1350 East 16th street, in Burley.