Jane Foster Lewallen, age 90 years of Niles, Michigan, wife, mother, grandmother, school librarian, traveler, and cook died peacefully at 12:15 a.m. on Friday, December 15, 2023 at Woodland Terrace at Longmeadow following a brief illness.
She was born on March 4, 1933 in Goshen, Indiana to Thomas and Florence (Foster) Tilley, and graduated with the Class of 1951 from Goshen High School. She continued her education at Indiana University, and earned her Bachelors Degree in Library Science and Home Economics from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She came to Niles in 1958, and was employed by the Niles Community Schools for twenty-four years, primarily as school librarian at Howard Elementary School.
Jane was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church in Niles, and volunteered in the children’s department at the Niles District Library. She enjoyed traveling, and had completed a tour of Europe, cruised to Alaska and through the Panama Canal, and had visited all but three of the United States. Her interest in home economics was appreciated at home, making every meal in a manner that was pleasing to all, and willing to try new products that would improve the economy of labor in the kitchen. She was also known to make use of the sewing machine and patterns from Simplicity Pattern, but her greatest interest was her family, especially visits to the grandchildren, to whom she was “Nana”.
On August 21, 1954 at a U.S. Army base in England she married Corporal Noble Forrest Lewallen, with whom she celebrated just months ago the remarkable Sixty-ninth Anniversary of their wedding.
Surviving family includes her husband, Noble, and their children, Noble Forrest “Tobey” (& Suzanne) Lewallen II of Williamsburg, Michigan, and Kyle Thomas (& Sherry) Lewallen, Ph.D. of The Woodlands, Texas; grandchildren Colby Lewallen, Ph.D., Jordan Lewallen, and Noble Lewallen III, D.O.; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and by her sisters, JoAnn McKibbin, and Mary Garringer.
The funeral service for Jane Lewallen will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at the First Presbyterian Church, 13 South Fourth Street in Niles with Rev. Christopher Mergener of the church officiating. Family and relatives will gather at the graveside in Violett Cemetery, 2818 Violett Road in Goshen for Committal Services at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, December 26, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Contributions in memory of Jane may be made to the Niles District Library, 620 East Main Street, Niles, Michigan, 49120, https://nileslibrary.com/support-the-library/. Online condolences may be left at: www.halbritterwickens.com
Jane clearly lived a long life and used those 90 years well: traveling to see new sights and experience different cultures; serving her community as a teacher for many years; continuing to serve at the library; and being faithful to her church. But more important were the students for whom she cared, the library patrons, and her family – especially her grandchildren; all evidence of fulfilling the command to love God and love people.
Posted On: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 3:37 PM
