Janet Ruppe Clark, 91, of Idaho Falls passed away peacefully from natural causes on September 18, 2021, less than a week after her 92nd birthday.
She was born on September 23, 1929 in Kenilworth, Utah, the first daughter of Cecil Putman “Mike” and Reva Ruppe. The next spring the family moved to the Vernal, Utah area, where they lived during their high school years.
As she grew up, Janet took on much of the chores of helping her mother raise her two younger sisters and three younger brothers. As she got older, she looked after the house for the summers while her mother helped her father with the family ranch in Blue Mountain, Colorado. During high school, she learned to play the saxophone, which was instrumental (pun intended) in her choice to attend BYU, where she performed in the marching band.
At BYU she met Alan C Clark, another member of the band. After Alan’s mission, their advertising flourished and they were married on March 16, 1951 in the Salt Lake Temple. Janet graduated with a BA in Elementary Education later that year and continued teaching until her first daughter was born. From that time on, Janet’s main focus was on raising her three daughters and three sons, although she briefly returned to teaching while Alan graduated from college. As Alan’s education progressed, the family lived in Blackfoot Idaho and Salt Lake City and settled in Rexburg, Idaho in 1964 when Alan got a job at Ricks College.
Janet has served in her ward and Latter-day Saint Church of Jesus Christ. She served as the 4H leader for several years and held numerous leadership positions in the Church. She served as an ordination helper in the Idaho Falls Temple for 20 years, most of that time with Alan, and after his retirement she served two church missions in England. After Alan’s death in 2006, she moved to Idaho Falls to be closer to the family. At the time of her death, Janet was under the care of the Morningstar Reflections Unit and the Encompass Hospice.
All of her life, Janet was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, and a tireless worker with an angelic face who showed her genuine interest in others and a desire to empower and empower everyone she met.
Janet leaves behind her son-in-law Tom Sederberg from Orem, UT, children, Doug (Michelle Thackeray) from Keller, TX, LeAnne (Ron Bunn) from Nicholasville, KY, Marie (Brad Ritchie) from Idaho Falls, Gordon (Lisa George) from Corinth, TX, and Curtis (Karla Henderson) from Idaho Falls, 29 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren and their siblings: Shirley Oldaker, Jack Ruppe, Clyde Ruppe and Gladys Petersen.
Her husband, a brother (Larry), a daughter (Brenda Sederberg) and a granddaughter (Tishawn Bunn) preceded it in death.
Family will be greeted with friends at the 16th community meeting house, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 612 South Hidden Valley Road, Rexburg, Idaho, on Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., following at 11 a.m. 00 o’clock. The burial takes place in the Rexburg cemetery.
Published by Rexburg Standard Journal on September 21, 2021.
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