Date Of Birth: January 16, 1921
Date Of Death: January 31, 2012

Jane Wright Strickland left this world on January 31, 2012, her children beside her. Jane was born in Libertyville, Illinois on January 16, 1921 to George Caleb and Helen Mae Moss Wright. She had one brother eight years her senior, William Caleb. Living in Indianapolis most of her life, Jane was a graduate of Shortridge High School and Butler University. Jane loved the arts, being an accomplished dancer during her younger years and seamstress throughout her life. She could grow anything in her garden, loved reading as her father did and walked practically everywhere.

Jane dedicated her life to children. Jane taught in several preschool programs, focusing particularly on those where children had fewer resources. She was a foster parent for many years, at one count fostering over 250 children. There was rarely a time when Jane didn’t have one or more babies in her home. Ten of those babies were her own. Jane was the adoptive parent to seven children, in addition to what she referred to as her three “homemade” children. The children Jane brought into the family were deemed “unadoptable” at the time and Jane’s goal was to make sure she was providing a home and family to children who otherwise might not have one at all. She built a diverse, international family which to this day is a “wildflower garden of a family”, as her grandson put it.

Jane is survived by nine of her children, preceded in death by her son, Peter. Daniel Strickland, Cynthia Strickland, Jay Strickland, Celeste S. Burcham, Eric Strickland, Rebecca Strickland, Heather Cunningham, Lisa Strickland Miller and Elaine Strickland-Berger, as well as six sons-in-law, twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren carry her memory forward.

A Memorial Service will be held on February the 18th, visitation at 3:00 and service at 4:00 at Tabernacle Prebyterian Church in Indianapolis. Everyone is requested to wear Jane’s favorite color blue to the service.

While Jane loved her flowers, she always said “give them to me while I can enjoy them!” In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Children’s Bureau of Indianapolis at www.childrensbureau.org/ in Jane’s name.