Janice Herbst

Janice Marie Herbst of Jackson Hole, Wyoming passed away on July 18, 2020.  She was 83, born October 12, 1937 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to parents Arthur and Esther Carlson.    Janice was a proud graduate of Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis and kept in close touch with dear high school friends to her final days.  She attended the University of Minnesota and studied to be a dental hygienist.  To earn money for college, Janice ventured to Yellowstone National Park to work as a waitress at the Canyon Hotel.  It was there that her soul found its’ true home.  After college, Janice moved to Denver and worked as a dental hygienist.  Soon she met her love, Carl August Herbst, Jr. and they married on July 29, 1961.  Janice and Carl were devoted to each other for 41 years until Carl preceded her in death.  Janice and Carl had two children that they loved very much.   The family enjoyed rv-ing to almost every state in the union, as well as to Canada and Mexico.  During her years with children, Janice enjoyed volunteering.  She volunteered as a tour-guide for the Denver Governor’s Mansion and always volunteered for her children’s PTA’s, scouts and other organizations.   Janice’s most dear affiliation was with PEO.  She was a member of 3 chapters throughout her life.  She loved all of her PEO sisters more than they will ever know.  Janice expanded her circle of friends over the years and has many dear friends in Denver and Kiowa, Colorado.  After raising their children, Janice and Carl finally achieved their life-long dream of moving to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Janice enjoyed volunteering as a docent for the National Wildlife Museum of Art.  She loved eating lunch at the Senior Center and was a regular attendee of The Jackson Hole Hootennany.  She treasured all of her new friends and neighbors in her Jackson home.  In their retirement years, Janice and Carl enjoyed many more RV trips and eventually enjoyed being “snow birds” who spent the winters in south Texas and in Tucson, Arizona.  They established long friendships with Colorado Rockies spring training fans.  Janice had two grandchildren who adored her.  After she was widowed, Janice would drive herself down to Texas to live near her grandchildren during the winter.  She enjoyed attending all of their school events like concerts, sporting events, performances and award ceremonies.  She loved treating her grandkids to a steak dinner with a Roy Rodgers drink and hearing all about their dreams.  When she could no longer travel and the time came, Janice moved to Legacy Lodge in Jackson, where she quickly made friends with the staff and her wonderful dinner-table mates and other residents.  She loved Living at Legacy Lodge and never looked back.  During her final months, her caregivers at the Saint John’s Living Center made her feel loved and special every single day as she struggled with another of life’s transitions.  Her last months’ were especially challenging with the COVID 19 pandemic.  Her beloved Jackson Hole community of friends and professionals came to her aid and cooperated seamlessly with the hospital staff to get her everything she needed.  Janice will be deeply missed by her family and by a lifetime’s-worth of friends.

Janice is survived by her children, Julie Smetzer and Carl Herbst; her grandchildren, Nick Smetzer and Chris Smetzer; and her beloved sister, Gloria Belastock.

For those that feel moved to do so, Janice would be honored with donations made to the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.  The link provided takes you to a giving-page where you can pick from several community nonprofits.  All are worthy and will be struggling this year.

https://www.cfjacksonhole.org/old-bills/give/how-to-give/