The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Jane Rafter Krass of Hogeland, MT was born to William Clayton and Julia Elizabeth (Sturges) Rafter on August 25, 1939. She was called to the Lord's home on September 18, 2023. Jane grew up in Harlem, MT during the school years and Hogeland on the family farm in the summers. She graduated from Harlem High School in 1957 and married her sweetheart, Harlan Lester Krass, September 15th of that year. They were married for 62 years. During these years, they had six children together. They both always wanted a big family, as they both were only children.

She took part in Harlan's business ventures taking care of the books. She was a big part of the egg business, Krass Kackleberries, candling eggs and helping deliver eggs up and down the Hi-line. After the kids were grown and moved away from home, she and Harlan spent a few winters in Tucson, AZ where Harlan was a well driller.

Jane was a fabulous cook, and spent many hours in the kitchen preparing meals for her husband, children, hired men, taking meals to the field during harvest with her mother, and making meals for both teams after her children's basketball games. She also was involved with the Hogeland Lutheran Church and was head of the bazaar for several years and baked for hours taking goodies for the church to sell. She belonged to the Hogeland Happy Housewives Club for 65 years and loved entertaining and serving lunch after those meetings. She was also involved in Rainbow Girls as a young girl (a youth service leadership organization for daughters of Masons/Shriners) and Daughters of the Nile as an adult (organization of women related to Masons/Shriners that help raise money to benefit the Shriner's Hospital).

She was a champion pie baker, and taught all her daughters to be pie champions at the MT Seed Show as well. She baked and decorated many wedding cakes, birthday character cakes for kids, and even some R-rated bachelor/bachelorette cakes when asked to do so.

Jane loved to sew and embroider and was an expert at it! She made clothes for herself and her kids, wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses for her daughters' weddings, and later beautiful party dresses for her granddaughters and their baby dolls, and flannel lounge pants for her grandsons. She embroidered baby and graduation samplers for her grandchildren, several sets of tea towels, and cross-stitch wall hangings and Christmas ornaments over the years.

Jane was a 4-H leader for years, helping not only her own children, but several kids in the community, even taking them to town to shop for patterns and fabric for their sewing project. She later enjoyed supporting and following her grandchildren in 4-H activities, even watching online when she was unable to attend in the later years.

She enjoyed raising a big garden, especially hours on her knees picking strawberries for her famous pie and freezer jam. She canned garden vegetables and fresh fruit, enough in the pantry to last several winters!

Her biggest joy was supporting her kids/grandkids activities. She loved traveling to basketball games, even on the bus with the kids, or watching the grandkids sporting events online later. She spent many hours driving her girls to music lessons, and never complained of the noise (especially Diana's oboe and Lorin's tuba) they all made on their instruments practicing that music. She kept track of her adult children's lives as well, reminding us of our appointments, and calling or texting to check to see if we made it home safely. (She thought it was great when Linda connected her to her tracker on her phone so she could get up-to-date locations when Linda was traveling).

She leaves behind her six children who love her dearly. Linda (Darel) Hauge of Turner, Cynthia of Billings, Diana (Randy) Maloney of Turner, Lorin (Jill) of Hogeland, Anita (Steve) of Turner, and Hilary (Tim) of Harlem. Her grandchildren Adam (Lauren) and Evan Hauge, Jessica and Lindsey Reed, Garrett, Gavin, and Shania Maloney, Clayton, Shyan, Dakota, and William Krass, Lucas, Brooke, and Bridget Reed, and Hannah and Natalie Richman. Great-grandchildren Davion Reed, Caleb, Noland, and Tessa Hauge.

She is preceded in death by her husband Harlan of 62 years and her parents, W.C. and Julia Rafter.