Janet Beryl Hayden Heer

Janet Beryl Hayden Heer chose Tuesday, June 6th, 2017 to join the love of her life, Herbert Doyle, in eternity. They are both dancing, because there are no wheelchairs in heaven.

She was born to Flossie Gazella Hall Hayden and William Ralph Hayden on February 13, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois in her maternal grandmother’s home, one street over from her mother and father’s home. She enjoyed the comradery of her sister, Joan, and the two participated in many shenanigans together. She worked many jobs over the years, including dental assistant, cremation clerk for a bank (she said they burned people who didn’t pay their debts), schoolteacher, store proprietor, caterer, telemarketer, drugstore soda jerk, and a reservation clerk for TW Services, but her favorite job of all was mother and wife; a simple homemaker.

She married Herbert Doyle Heer on June 4th, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, and was sealed to her family on April 6th, 1978. The couple made their home in Chicago for a few years, and then moved to Colorado. They got restless and moved back to Chicago, then to Milford, Utah for six years, then moved to Cedar City to live out the rest of their days together.

She was a crusader; she fought for the rights of others and for the right way to do things. She didn’t believe in shortcuts. One of her first fights was the Midlothian School District school board in Midlothian, Illinois over boundary issues. She fought for the safety of the children, so they would not have to cross a busy road with no crossing lights.

She was also a Band Mother, a wrestling mom, a football and basketball booster, and a drill team mom in Milford, Utah. She loved providing service to her kids through their activities.

In 1982, she and Herb moved the family moved to Cedar City, where she decided at the age of 50 that college was a good idea. She attended Southern Utah University, and got a degree in Art History and Communications with an emphasis in Special Education, and then went back and got her teaching certificate after she graduated with her bachelors’ degree. She taught special education on the Navajo Indian reservation in Navajo Mountain, Arizona, at the boarding school. She loved the people there, and always said how rewarding it was to work with the kids, and to be able to make a positive change in their lives.

Janet was a very caring and compassionate soul; she opened her door to many wayfarers throughout the years. Samuel Wilgus, Timothy Hansen, Silas Cochran, Todd Wood, Joseph Favino, and Terri Carter all passed through her home, as well as numerous furkids, and she loved them all as her own. She referred of all of them as her adopted children.

Janet was very patriotic, and she loved her country. She was proud to be the mother, mother-in-law and grandmother of three soldiers. She knew how important their service was to this country, and always defended our servicemen to anyone who had negative comments.

Janet is preceded in death by her husband, Herbert, her sister, Joan Cynthia Combs and her granddaughter, Lily Dawn Heer. She is survived by her three children, her son, Ralph Charles and his wife Cherie Ann Schoeps Heer, her daughter Amy Lynn, and her son Aaron Hayden, and two grandchildren, Charles Thomas Heer and Faith Zenaide Heer, and an “affectionate” grandson, James Roger Hicks, as well as many nieces and nephews, cousins, and ward family members. Janet will truly be missed.

Funeral services will be held Friday, June 9th, 2017 at 6 PM at the Enoch West Stake Center, 3600 North Minersville Highway. There will be no viewing, due to Janet donating her body to the University of Utah Medical College for the purpose of polio research. Please come and join us in celebrating this wonderful woman’s life.