Janet Mae Ohlson Fellows

Janet Mae Ohlson Fellows passed away on August 7, 2026, following a battle with fronto-temporal lobe dementia. She left behind a legacy of adventure, learning, and devotion to her family. Though she will be missed, she will never be forgotten.

Born to Reuben and Edith Ohlson on October 28, 1936, Jan grew up near Aurelia, Iowa. While her father strictly prohibited her from doing "men’s work," she found her calling in the open fields of her family's farm. Jan loved driving tractors, particularly when the alternative was staying inside to shuck peas!

Though rooted in Iowa, Jan possessed a restless, independent spirit and could not wait to leave the farm to see the world. She began her global adventure at Iowa State University, where she joined Kappa Delta sorority and met the love of her life, Second Lieutenant Albert "Bert" Milton Fellows. The couple married on February 4, 1956.

Jan and Bert spent some time at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, before the Army deployed them to Germany, a country they grew to love and admire. They spoke often of their comfortable apartment at Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg, a beautiful town along the Neckar River. Once in Germany, the couple fully immersed themselves in their new home. They embraced the culture, learned the language, rode bicycles along the Neckar and Rhine Rivers, and built lasting friendships with local residents.

Jan and Bert welcomed their first child, Becky, during their time in Germany. They added a son, John, and another daughter, Cheryl, following a move to Spokane, Washington. Shortly thereafter, the Fellows family returned to Germany, where Bert worked for a few years as a product representative in the timber industry. For the second time, Jan thrived in her adopted country, making many memories and lifelong friends.

Jan and Bert returned to the United States in 1968, settling in Tacoma and Puyallup, Washington. In 1973, they moved to Boise, Idaho, where they lived for more than thirty years. In 1976, they completed their family by adopting their youngest child, Tim.

Jan greatly enjoyed the Boise years, which were filled with warmth, music, laughter, and seemingly endless activity. She often played Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes on the

piano while her children gathered around and sang. Jan also loved cultivating her beautiful rose garden in front of her home. More than anything else, she loved to spend time with her children and support them in their many activities.

Jan possessed an insatiable thirst for knowledge and channeled her intellectual curiosity into her professional life. Balancing a growing family with higher education, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Eastern Washington University 1969. Years later, while deeply rooted in Boise and working at St. Alphonsus Hospital, she continued her academic pursuits, earning a Master of Business Administration from Boise State University in 1983.

Jan was beloved not only by her four children but also her 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Many affectionately referred to her as "Grandma Crash" after she walked away unharmed from a car accident. Some loved her for dishing out Peanut M&Ms from her secret stash, which her husband often hid so she wouldn’t eat them all.

Jan was an exceptional, award-winning quilter. She and Cheryl shared a passion for quilting and participated in numerous retreats together in Montana in the early 2000s.

In their later years, Jan and Bert realized their dream of seeing the world. They traveled the world and enjoyed the people and sights of Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, and North America. They shared a special fondness for Mexico, making endless memories at their timeshares in Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

After retiring as a medical technologist at St. Al’s Hospital in Boise, Jan filled her days playing tennis, quilting, and hosting or visiting family. She carried her passion for tennis to the Southwest in 2005, when she and Bert moved to Mesa, Arizona full time.

Jan and Bert spent their final years living near granddaughter Laura Opp in Mesa, Arizona, often surrounded by the family they had spent a lifetime building.

Jan was preceded in death by her husband, Bert, and a grandson, Douglas Kyle Heldt. She is survived by daughters Becky (Dave) Skelton of Boise, Idaho, and Cheryl (John) Heldt of Henderson, Nevada; sons John (Julia) Fellows of Bremen, Alabama, and Tim Fellows of Spring Creek, Nevada. Other survivors include grandchildren Laura (Jeremy) Opp of Mesa, Arizona; Michelle Skelton of Boise, Idaho; Katie (Zach) Ashcroft of Madison, Alabama; Aly (Bryant) Giles of West Plains, Missouri; Kent (Allie) Fellows of Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Heidi (Jess) Stotts of Spokane Valley, Washington; Amy Heldt of Madison, Alabama; Matthew (Mikayla) Heldt of Kailua, Hawaii; Ted (Kayla) Deck of Spring Creek, Nevada; and Jillian Fellows of Rexburg, Idaho.