Jane Margaret (Arndt) Smalley, 98, a wonderful wife and mother and a friend to many, has passed on to her eternal reward. She was born on February 26, 1920, in her parent's home on West Friendship Street in the Village of Medina during a blizzard. She was the daughter of the late Clarence and Lana Arndt.

Jane survived a severe case of blood poisoning at the age of nine. The years of the Great Depression were very hard on her and her family. Jane worked as a child sitter and in her early teens at Edwards Market which was in the old Steak House on West Liberty.

She graduated from Medina High School a semester early in 1938 and found work as the secretary for Medina School Superintendent Sydney Fenn. She also worked for the High School Principal and was asked to cover study halls. She had a key to what is now the County Administration building and went in nights to type college papers for the staff.  She was paid $30.00 a month for the secretary position. She typed the complete text for the history of the Medina First Christian Church, Saga of a Village Church , which was published in 1937.

She moved to Cleveland where she met Benn Smalley at a Christian Endeavor event. They were married on August 8, 1941. She followed Benn through Army Air Corp basic training in Oklahoma and Texas before returning to Medina when he left for the Pacific Theater during WWII.

She worked as a secretary at Bliss and Laughlin Steel. She was secretary for six different ministers of the First Christian Church of Medina where she was an active member. She was involved in the community in many ways throughout her life.

Jane and Benn raised three children in Medina. Members of the Medina Campers group, they passed on their love of travel through family vacations to National Parks each summer. Together they enjoyed retirement winters at their place in Florida. After Benn's passing, Jane traveled through Great Britain with his sister Myra. Jane also took many trips with her daughter Pam.

At the age of 75, Jane traveled alone to Alaska where she rode the rapids and hiked on a Mt. Denali glacier after a ski plane landing.   In recent years she enjoyed Medina summers with her wonderful neighbor Erica Graffein. She entered assisted care at Brookdale South in Medina in 2017. The family extends its gratitude to the dedicated staff at Brookdale and Brookdale Hospice for their exceptional care of our beloved mother.

Jane is survived by her son Roger (Linda) of Medina, daughter Pamela (Fred) Hatfield of Fredericktown and son Dave (Marline) of Mount Vernon, Ohio. She is also survived by her sister June Davis of Gretna, Nebraska, and nieces Sally (Marty) Stednitz, Gayle Mock, Suzanne (David) Hill, Patty (Ron) Smalley, Nancy Neuzil and many friends and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Benn Smalley, infant daughter Carol Jane, brother Julian Arndt, sister Adelia Owen and nephews Phillip Arndt, Don Davis and Timothy Owen.

A public service celebrating Jane's life will be held at noon on Thursday, January 3, 2019 at the Waite and Sons Funeral Home, 765 N. Court St. in Medina. The family will receive friends following the service until 4:00 p.m.  A private family interment will follow on Friday at Spring Grove Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Medina Salvation Army.

Online condolences may be left at waitefuneralhome.com