Obituary of Jane Carlisle Volbrecht

Jane Knox Volbrecht, teacher, WWII veteran, avid reader, fisherwoman, Joe Montana fan, friend, wife and mother passed away quietly at home on January 25, 2012. Jane was born in Kansas City, Kansas on October 19, 1921 to Raymond and Eunice Knox. She was the eldest of four children and the only girl of the four. Jane graduated high school at age 16, junior college at 18 and earned her teaching credential from Kansas State Teacher's College, Emporia, in 1942. She taught for one year in rural Kansas before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1943, where she earned the rank of First Lieutenant. While serving our country during World War II, she met a handsome Marine pilot from Lodi and married him on September 5, 1945 in Laguna Beach, California. The newly wed Stanley and Jane Volbrecht settled in Lodi on the family vineyard and were married for 49 years when Stanley passed away in March of 1994. Jane and Stanley were parents to four children who were raised in the "little house" on Pine Street. Virginia Siler-Beckman (David), Dee Alimbini and twins, Kent(Karla) and Kevin(Roberta) Volbrecht survive the amazing mother who raised them, with, in her words, "benign neglect" and who ruled the roost with a velvet gloved iron fist. Jane was the beloved Grammy to five grandchildren who enjoyed nightly ice cream and sprinkler parties in the back yard on hot summer nights and the unconditional love of a grandmother. Scott (Jen) Siler, Christina Siler, Andy (Audra) McGuire, Charles Volbrecht, and Alison (Kyle) Krotter will miss the woman who had such influence in their lives. In recent years, the word "Great" was officially added to the title of Grammy as Wailea Lailoni and Katrina McKenna Siler, Penelope Jane Krotter and Oriana Rose McGuire were born. Jane is also survived by her brothers and sisters-in-law, Ralph (Carrie Beth) Knox and Jay (Linda) Knox both of Kansas, sister-in-law, Anna May Vollbrecht, numerous nieces and nephews and her special caregivers, Joyce Maureen Huggins, Cathy Lewis and Kelly Ricketts. The value of an education and the importance of the independence education brings was borne out in Jane's five years as a third grade teacher at Woods School and 25 years as an English and Yearbook teacher at Galt High School. Wherever we go in Lodi, Stockton or Galt and as far away as San Diego, we are often greeted by her former students who have fond and funny memories of our mother, the teacher. We were used to sharing her lap with a stack of essays or a mystery novel. Mom was able to read a novel a day, manage the house and all of us and keep up with her grading and lesson planning. Every summer she enrolled in summer classes at UOP just for the fun of it. She was a feminist before they existed, a loving and fair minded classroom teacher and a mostly patient wife, mother and grandmother. From husband to children, we all tried her patience on frequent occasions but she always forgave our transgressions and never stopped loving us. Jane was predeceased by her husband, Stanley, parents Raymond and Eunice Knox, her brother, Raymond Knox and his wife, Barbara, great granddaughter Fianna Amor McGuire and Stanley's brothers, Earl (Theda) Vollbrecht and Rex Vollbrecht. A funeral service is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Monday, January 30, 2012 at Rocha's Mortuary, 215 South School Street in Lodi, California. Burial will be private.