Jane Dione Pierpoint
Jane Pierpoint was a loving mom, grandmother and great-grandmother who hated things squishing between her toes but loved good times with family and loved ones.
Jane Dione Pierpoint, 85, an amazing, caring, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister was called Home on Dec. 4, 2023. Jane was born to Frank and Viola Pierpoint on Dec. 22, 1937, Jane grew up in Coulee City, Wash., the seventh of 12 children. Jane's greatest love was her family. She cherished time spent with family. Especially important were holiday get-togethers and the annual Pierpoint-Nutt reunion.
Jane quit school at 16 to marry her high school sweetheart, Leslie Penrose. After their August 1954 wedding, between May 1956 and March 1961, Jane and Les had five sons: Richard, William, Herbert, Randal and Kenneth.
Jane once wrote, "We eventually settled in Moses Lake. When our babies were born, we had a mutual agreement that it was more important for me to stay home and take care of our family even if it meant Les working two jobs. After our youngest son started kindergarten, ... this was my opportunity to contribute to our financial status."
Jane then went to work at Pronto Foods (now JR Simplot Co.). She started out trimming potatoes, became a shift lead, a lab technician and then maintenance secretary. After their divorce, as a single mom with two jobs, Jane earned her GED and associate of arts degree at Big Bend Community College. Jane worked part-time at Chico's Pizza for many years, preparing the sauce, the dough and other ingredients. She also served as a caregiver and line-dance teacher. Jane's strength, work ethic and desire to provide for her children, along with her deep love of family, made her an outstanding role model for her sons.
Jane loved to laugh, loved to dance, loved Elvis Presley and loved country music. She once described herself as loving "to honky tonk" and to teach "the Boot Scootin' Boogie." Jane loved many things but hated the feel of anything squishing up between her toes. She had an intense fear of public speaking, which she would bravely overcome to sing karaoke.
One of her many skills was her ear-splitting, no-hands whistle used to let the boys know, along with the whole Lee Street neighborhood, that it was time to come home. Residents and staff at Summer Wood Care Center can confirm, some with trepidation, that she randomly alerted the building with that whistle well into her 80s.
Jane is survived by sons, Richard (Nikki) and Randal (Gay) of Moses Lake, William (Nelda) of Vancouver, Wash., Herbert (Gina) of Soap Lake, Wash., Kenneth of Bellingham, Wash.; siblings, Bonnie Benbow and Bob Pierpoint of Chewelah, Wash., Miriam (Rick) Scott of Vancouver, Wash., Bill (Peggy) Pierpoint of Lacey, Wash., and Francis Taylor of Ephrata, Wash. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, four stepchildren and many, many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Viola; sisters Donna Dorlarque, Lois Guinn, Thelma Keizer, Betty Jensen, Marilyn Hargrove and Dixie Moe; and daughter-in-law Nikki Penrose.
A celebration of Jane's life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 27, at Moses Lake Christian Academy, 1312 S. Moses Lake Ave. in Moses Lake, Wash. Lunch will be provided following the celebration. Her ashes will be placed at Guardian Angels Cemetery.