Jane Land of Kremmling died Dec. 8, 2011.

She was born Jane Ellen Mumey on March 21, 1944, in Davenport, Iowa, to Tom and Mary (Hyett) Mumey. Jane was Tom and Mary’s third child after Mike (Rose) and Pat (Pamela). Jane was preceded in death by her sister Ann. Jane’s younger brother is Brian (partner Clinton).

Jane was the loving wife (24 years) of Harlan Land. Together, Jane and Harlan forged the thriving business of Middle Park Meat Company.

Jane attended Catholic schools throughout her youth and graduated with a B.A. in Teaching from Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa in 1966. After graduation Jane taught in various locations including Minneapolis and Southern California.

While living in Balboa California with Susan Fitzpatrick and Ann Cantwell she met and married her first husband who, as a pilot for “Air America,” took Jane to Southeast Asia until the fall of Saigon in 1974. Jane eventually returned to the U.S. to complete, in 1977, a Master’s Degree in Educational Counseling at Colorado State University.

Always a “traveler” Jane found employment at an American School in Bogota Columbia from 1979 through 1980 but Colorado was the place she considered “home” and she soon returned to Colorado Springs taking a job as the only female member of a surveying crew working on ranch projects and the “Hippodrome” for bicycle racing at the Olympic training center.

In 1982, Jane took a job helping Jim and Vicki Taussig on their original ranch in the Williams Fork Valley. She became acquainted with local folks and learned of an opportunity to work for Harlan Land at the fledgling Middle Park Meat Company. Eventually, through marriage to Harlan in 1986, Jane became a partner in the firm and that’s when the business really began to bloom.

Jane maintained a powerful desire to “serve” her community. For 13 years she operated the Kremmling tennis program which on occasion provided training to as many as 70 kids in a single season. She and Harlan arranged for and traveled to youth tennis tournaments as far away as Denver and Grand Junction. For teaching tennis, there needed to be a viable tennis facility which Jane worked tirelessly to provide with help from the Town.

Jane served on the Kremmling Hospital board for seven years with emphasis on recruitment of hospital staff including doctors and specialists. A project of intense concern for Jane was to insure facilities for the aged and infirm and to that end, Jane participated on the steering committee for the development of the “Cliffview” assisted living center.

In recent years Jane became very interested in “Kinesiology”; the study of how improving motor skills can simultaneously improve general learning skills. She volunteered helping local children improve their learning through the exercises of a regime called “Brain Gym”.

In early August 2007 Jane was diagnosed with an advanced case of “non-small-cell lung cancer”. She and Harlan focused their combined energies on fighting the disease by immediately enrolling in experimental drug trials being offered by the Shaw Cancer Center in Edwards Colorado. Later Jane transferred her therapeutic regime to the Anschutz Cancer Center of the Colorado University Hospital.

Jane and Harlan made a point of reinvigorating their traveling spirit. In recent years they were fortunate to visit the launch of the Space Shuttle at Cape Canaveral and to admire the beautiful beaches of Puerto Vallarta Mexico with their friends Paul and Janet Ohri. Kremmling is their home but, in 2007, Jane and Harlan decided to purchase a winter residence in Albuquerque, N.M. On brief occasions they enjoyed warm visits to Albuquerque during the winters of 2007, 2008 and 2009 visiting with friends and family (cousin Susan Fitzpatrick).

Surrounded by friends and family, Jane’s battle with cancer ended in the early morning hours of Dec. 8, 2010. Jane was a “model” of Christian service to her fellow man. A private family service was conducted in Albuquerque on Dec. 11.

A celebration of her life is being planned to occur in Kremmling on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 1-6 p.m., West Grand High School gymnasium. In lieu of flowers Jane has requested donations be made to:

Cliffview Assisted Living Center Kremmling, in care of Senior Housing Options, 1510 17th Street, Denver, CO 80202; and/or “Heart of the Rockies” Hospice, P.O. Box 140, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451.