Austin Jane

Jane Marie (Keeler) Austin 87, passed away on March 15th, 2014. A 48 year resident of Durango, Colorado, Jane was born October 1926 in Cortez, Colorado, to Rex and Bertha Keeler. The family moved to Lewis, north of Cortez,where Jane grew up on a farm and attended Lewis Elementary. Jane rode her horse to Garret Ridge High School for two years. During her junior and senior year she boarded in Cortez. Shortly after graduating from Cortez, Jane started teaching in a two room school at McFee, Colorado, which is now buried by McFee Reservoir. After World War II ended Jane rode the Galloping Goose to Montrose and continued on to Gunnison, Colorado to attend Western State College. There Jane met a tall handsome GI from Texas named Edmund Austin. They eloped and married in Montrose, Colorado in December 1948. During their sixty-six years of marriage Jane had four children and many wonderful adventures with her family. She received her degree in Elementary Education from Adam State College in Alamosa, Colorado. She taught in Ridgeway, Salida, Pagosa Springs, Colorado and Moab, Utah prior to moving to Durango, where she was a well loved teacher for many years at Riverveiw Elementary. Jane loved nothing more than exploring new places, summers and weekends were spent jeeping and camping all over America, Canada and Mexico. She was the kindest and most considerate person you would ever know and will be sorely missed.
Jane is survived by her husband Edmund Kearney Austin, daughters Kathleen K. Austin and Mary Jane Austin of Durango, and son Richard Ray Austin of Farmington, NM, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and extend family.
Jane was preceded in death by her son, Edmund Lee Austin of Durango, parents Rex and Bertha Keeler of Lewis, sisters Eileen Campbell of Cortez and Carolyn Wagoner of Albuquerque, NM, and a brother Richard Keeler of Cortez.
A memorial service for Jane will be held Saturday May 3, 2014, at First United Methodist Church, 2917 Aspen Drive, Durango, Colorado, at 10am.