Jan Louise (Dimick) Holder, 59, of Sweet Home, Oregon passed away this past Tuesday, the 9th of June, from a fierce fight with cancer. She was born January 26, 1961 in Lebanon, the daughter of William Harley and Bonnie Lucille (Denver) Dimick. She was the ninth of thirteen siblings.

As a youth, she enjoyed working in the strawberry fields. As a teen, she won awards for twirling a mean baton. In 1980, she married her high school sweetheart, Ricky Ray Holder. Rick joined the Air Force and they soon moved to Edwards Air Force Base in California. It was there they had their first two children, Tim and Brandi. Two years later, Kelli and Jordan were born while stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The young family relocated to Eielson Air Force Base, in Alaska. It was there that Rick retired and the family returned to their home state of Oregon. Cyndi, the last of their five children, was born in Albany. Jan thoroughly enjoyed the military life, moving and exploring different towns and states. When her children were young, she was the assistant coach of Tim’s baseball team, the Brownie Scout leader for Brandi and Kelli and actively involved in 4-H with Cyndi. As the children grew her hobbies included antique collecting and estate sales. She collected old vinyl records, paperweights and owls for good luck. She and Jordan were best gambling buddies. They often went to play bingo together at local casinos.

Jan was blessed with six grandchildren. Jan wanted to have as many grandchildren as possible. She loved all six, but six was not near enough for the amount of love she had for them. She was either in the kitchen baking cookies or in the yard pushing them on the swing.

Jan was surrounded by her husband and children, including daughter-in-law Sarah Holder. She passed away just after her daughters put on her make-up, because only then could she leave the house.

She will be missed dearly, a life too young to be gone. We will tell the grandchildren, she will be in the stars, an angel looking down above us.

She is survived by her husband, Rick; five children, Tim Holder, Brandi Byler, Kelli White, Jordan Holder and Cyndi Rauscher; six grandchildren, Brook and Keenon Byler, O’Raya and Autumn Holder, Harvey White and Derek Rauscher.

Graveside service will be 2 pm Friday June 19th at Gilliland Cemetery.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements.