For Christmas 2023 I gave out copies of my storybook about Aunt Janie. Because I have a large family, my children have encouraged me not to spend a fortune on presents. So I write and illustrate a book highlighting a story about someone in our family each year and give it out to all of my children and their families. I try to focus the storytelling to suit a readership of children ages 5-10 years old.
So far, I have only heard reactions from one of my families. In that family are four children ages 9-16. Their mother (my daughter) read them out the story "Janie Thompson: The Girl from Nowhere Who Went Everywhere" while they were all together. She said that the children were very curious about their great, great aunt. My daughter actually knew Janie and performed on some of her Family Shows. So she was able to answer many of her children's questions from first hand authority. That led to them watching a TV movie documentary "Janie Thompson: A Performance of Faith" produced by BYU in 2009. (My daughter had a copy in her home video library.)
So far, I have only heard reactions from one of my families. In that family are four children ages 9-16. Their mother (my daughter) read them out the story "Janie Thompson: The Girl from Nowhere Who Went Everywhere" while they were all together. She said that the children were very curious about their great, great aunt. My daughter actually knew Janie and performed on some of her Family Shows. So she was able to answer many of her children's questions from first hand authority. That led to them watching a TV movie documentary "Janie Thompson: A Performance of Faith" produced by BYU in 2009. (My daughter had a copy in her home video library.)
Janie Thompson about 1954 My cousin Tamina was right. We absolutely needed to do something to keep Aunt Janie's memory alive in the family. Janie lived a long life and died at nearly the age of 91 in 2013. Most of the grandchildren in our family were barely born since the 1990's. Janie did not have the influence in her later years as she did when she was in her prime, especially in our family which by the time Janie was 80+ the extended family had spread out all over the world. How quickly the illustrious lives of famous people can be forgotten if we don't actively work to keep their memories alive.
Through the years after Janie retired in 1984 from working at BYU, Janie still had many opportunities to perform. She insisted on creating shows featuring herself as well as her family and close friends. Those of us lucky enough to live near Utah were included in those shows. My 3 older children got to perform in a show for BYU Education Week in 1985 called "Say It With Music." That was so fun because 50+ members of our extended family got to sing together in a performance that was not a funeral.
Sam, Bob, and John Thompson in 1957
We got to hear uncles John, Bob and Sam sing some of their songs Janie arranged especially for them from years past. What a thrill to hear their huge operatic voices! It was also fun for some of us cousins to sing the "girls trio" stuff like my mom and her sisters sang in the 1950s and 60s. (We lost Aunt Dot in 1974.) Plus, we all got to sing the huge production numbers Janie is known for. What a great way to get to know our extended family!
Dorothy (Dot), Carolyn, and Janie in the 1960s
Those family members who lived close to Janie got a lot more opportunities to sing on her shows including two other big ones: the 1987 "Constitution Ball" and "We the People" for the city of Provo's 4th of July Freedom Festival in 2008. (My husband and I and some of my children and grandchildren also got to perform on that show!)
I am so happy that many of our extended family members ordered my picture book about Janie, and many more of Janie's Program Bureau "kids" have also ordered the book. Let's keep our memories of Janie alive for future generations!
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