Jane Junker House

Jane was born on November 15, 1938 and passed away on Saturday, September 8, 2018.
Born Jane Ann Erskine in St Paul, MN to John & Edith Erskine, in St Paul, MN. She enjoyed playing basketball in high school in St Paul and sailing on White Bear Lake at her father's cabin in her teens. She grew up with one sister, Joanne, and two brothers, Walter & John, who all reside in or around Anchorage, AK currently.
She married Robert Lawrence Junker on September 10th, 1960 and became Jane Ann Junker. Living in Bayport, then Stillwater, MN, baring 5 children to Bob, she was mother and housekeeper for many years raising Bruce, Greg, Sara, Steve & Chris. She also went to school and got her Certified Nursing Associates degree and worked the night shift care-giving for clients after her children were in school full time and until Bob's passing in 1981. After her youngest, Chris, graduated from high school in 1984, she decided to take her mother up on an offer which Edith had extended to all her family for many years - "three months free room and board with me, where ever I am living." Jane needed a fresh start and her children were "out of the nest" and self-sufficient, so she sold the house in Stillwater and made her way to Anchorage, AK which was where Edith was living.
Jane was working at a fast food burger joint in Anchorage when she met Kenneth Dean House, son of Dean & Vanita. Ken is the oldest of four boys, his brothers all still live in or near the Spokane area - Larry, Tim & Mike. Jane & Ken quickly became close friends. Ken even helped Jane get a better job as a bank teller. They were married on Valentines Day in 1987 at a small ceremony in their apartment in Anchorage and she became Jane Junker House.
Ken has three adult children of his own - Gordon, David & Matt, making a total of 8 children that Jane would become mother and friend to. Soon after Jane and Ken were married, the economy changed in AK so much that Ken's work framing buildings ran out and forced him to find work back in the lower 48. He found work near Seattle, WA and it took a few months to move his family down to their new home in Tukwilla, WA. While there, Jane worked as a "transportation engineer" (van driver) for a nursing home, taking residents to events all over the Seattle area. Jane described the traffic as "white knuckle traffic at times"!
Ken's work got them moving again, back to the Spokane area where Ken grew up and into a little house on the northeast end of town on Union Street, across from his brother Tim's workshop.
When Ken's mother Vanita became terminally ill, Jane stepped into the care-giving role and helped where she could, and again when Ken's ex-wife Janet succumbed to cancer, Jane was there to comfort her too. In fact, Janet and Jane both spent their last days at the same Hospice House in Spokane on the south hill.
Before Dean passed, Ken & Jane "traded" houses with Dean and moved into the one level rambler on McFarlane Road outside of Medical Lake, where Jane could have a whole room dedicated to her sewing equipment and supplies. She made use of every last inch of space, making dozens of quilts, including one for each graduating grandchild and sewing her daughter Sara's wedding dress and the two flower girl dresses too. There are still a few grandchildren to graduate that will also receive a quilt made by Jane. Jane was a resident of Medical Lake, Washington for the last 25 years of her life.
Jane was diagnosed with Rectal Cancer early 2012 and had surgery to remove the cancer mass followed by radiation and chemo and was proclaimed "cancer free" after a few years and follow up tests. In 2017 she finally decided to have knee replacement surgery due to an old high school gym class injury - jumping hurdles and caught one with her left knee when she was only 16. As she could barely take a few steps now before the excruciating pain would occur, it was a good decision to have the surgery. However, in her weakened condition from the cancer treatment and years of recovery, she never fully regained her health or mental clarity. And, while she was never diagnosed with it, her primary physician had recommended she be tested for Parkinson's disease just weeks before her death. She died peacefully and in comfort, surround by her husband and two of her sons at 12:20 AM September 8, 2018 at the Hospice House of Spokane South.
Jane was a member of "The Lunch Bunch" in Stillwater, MN; at least one Quilt Group in Spokane, WA; Compass Club in Spokane, WA; The Daughters of the American Revolution; The American Legion Auxiliary; and various craft groups. She collected and sent empty pill bottles to Africa where they get prescription pills handed to them loose when they do not have the donated bottles; she raised money and sent assorted items needed to build hand-peddled carts for people in countries where land mines took their legs. She loved to knit, crochet, do crafts, sew, help people, collect things that would help other people, and to listen. She loved Christmas year round, butterflies, the color blue and believed everyone should own a teddy bear no matter what your age.
In addition to the previously mentioned family members, she is also survived by 9 grandchildren and numerous friends and family across the country!

Jane was cremated per her wishes and will be kept by family until further notice.
A Memorial Service was held in her honor at St John's Lutheran Church in Medical Lake, WA on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Stillwater, MN 11-17-18.
10 AM family burial at St Michael's Cemetery in Bayport, MN. 11-3 Light Luncheon and Celebration at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Stillwater, MN.