Obituary of Anna Jane Nowlin

Anna Jane Nowlin passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 30th, after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. Jane was born in Kane, Pennsylvania on April 12, 1937 – the first child of James and Blanche Young. She was later joined by her brother, James. Jane and her family moved to California when she was fifteen. Jane graduated from Los Gatos High School and spent a year attending Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta Canada. Upon her return to California, Jane became active with Youth for Christ and met a young trumpet player who would become the love of her life, Donald Nowlin - they were married August 10, 1958. Three children would follow – Susan, David, and Sandra. During their childhood, Jane was an active and supportive mom. She attended horse shows, soccer matches, piano recitals, choir concerts, and school plays as an enthusiastic fan. During those years, she also worked a variety of jobs which included at one point owning her own dress store. Jane and Don moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1979. They lived in Oregon while Don worked as a college professor and studied for his doctorate. They then moved to Spokane where they would live for over 20 years. In Spokane, when she wasn’t working as a church secretary and wedding coordinator, she made dresses and Halloween costumes for her grandchildren and became a lead costumer for the local children’s theater CYT. Jane and Don moved to Beaverton in 2005 to be closer to family. In her last years, Jane expanded her lifelong love of sewing to include quilting. For several years, every Thursday night, a group of women gathered in her home to sew, laugh, cry and share life. Throughout her life, Jane was a woman of deep faith. She believed strongly in Jesus and was always willing to share her story with those God put in her life. It was this faith, that carried her through the last days of her illness and allowed to her to face the end with courage and peace. Jane’s life was one marked by hospitality and caring. For those in need, she was quick to offer encouragement. Her prayer list was long. She was generous with all that she had and was a model and mentor to many. Jane’s family included so many, but those she leaves behind are her husband of almost 59 years, Donald, her three children: Susan Oestreicher (David), David Nowlin (Michelle), and Sandra Burgess (David), and her seven grandchildren: Sam, Monica, Sarah, Seth, Jocelyn, Tamara, James. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held on Monday, June 12, at 3 pm at Harvest Community Church – 21235 SW Quatama Rd, Beaverton Oregon 97006 Service Information