SIERRA MADRE EDITION

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 – 5:00 PM SANTA 
ARRIVES AT SIERRA MADRE FIRE STATION 41

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2016

VOLUME 10 NO. 52

SIERRA MADRE CIVIC LEADER 
JAN REED PASSES AWAY

Happy Holidays FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU


Sierra Madre has lost 
another Treasure, a 
woman who was greatly 
admired by this writer. 
Her achievements 
were an inspiration 
to me and the words 
of encouragement she 
shared inspired me 
to continue with the 
publication of this paper. 
There aren't enough 
words to tell her story 
on this page,however the 
words of her daugthers 
will help those who did 
not have the pleasure 
of meeting her to 
understand what a great 
loss our community 
has suffered. Susan 
Henderson, Editor 
and Publisher of the 
Mountain Views News.

JANNENE G. REED 

2/8/29 - 12/17/16

Our mother, Jannene G. Reed, was an amazing optimist who 
considered herself “the luckiest person in the world.” She passed 
onto her new heavenly life incredibly peacefully on Saturday, 
December 17, 2016 at the enviable age of 87. In fact, a veteran nurse 
at Huntington Memorial Hospital who witnessed her transition 
stated that she had never witnessed such a peaceful death. She truly 
was a mother who taught us how to live and then how to pass on. 

Mom was born the youngest of four daughters to Frank James and 
Pearl Margaret Griffith on a farm outside of Wayne, Nebraska on 
February 8, 1929. Family lore has it that it was 21 degrees below 
zero. 

As a girl Mom loved to play piano, make up songs, write poems and 
stories. Later she started drawing comic strips. She drew constantly, 
illustrating most stories she studied and various classical stories she 
read. As a young woman, she began to work at the Wayne Herald 
(the local newspaper), collecting subscriptions at first, then she 
went into writing. Later she became Features Editor. Mom attended 
Wayne Prep High School where she was Homecoming Queen and 
valedictorian — which came with it four years of college classes at 
Wayne State College FREE. Mom met Don Reed at Wayne State 
College in their junior year (she was 4 months his senior) and they 
were married April 5, 1953. He had enlisted in the Air Force and 
they were stationed first in Madison, Wisconsin; then Sault St. 
Marie, Michigan; and then Chicago, Illinois. 

In Chicago Mom worked as a layout prospective artist for General 
Telephone Company. They subsequently moved to Kearney, 
Nebraska where Dad was a news director and Mom was a copy 
writer. When Dad decided to go to law school, they moved again 
to Vermillion, S.D.. As Dad got his JD, mom taught art in the local 
schools. After law school they moved back to Wayne, Nebraska 
where Dad became a partner in a law firm. Their first child, 
Cameron Leigh (Camee) was born on October 5, 1959 and their 
second child, Barbara Jayne (Barbee), was born December 20, 1961. 
Mom and Dad moved our family from Wayne to Honolulu, Hawaii 
in 1972, then they settled permanently in Southern California in 
1974, first in San Marino, then Sierra Madre and finally retiring in 
Pasadena. 

In San Marino Mom worked for the local newspaper, the Tribune. 
Her dream was always to own a small newspaper and be editor 
and publisher, so when the Sierra Madre News became available in 
1980 she and Dad bought it. Mom called it “a broadsheet, typical 
‘country’ weekly newspaper.” 

Sierra Madre was wonderful to Mom and Dad. Camee and Barbee 
had left the nest and Mom was truly a town leader. In the 1980s, 
she kept very busy with the paper, the printing business that 
came with it, and also was invited to serve on the board of the 
Methodist Hospital in Arcadia. This was a golden time for Mom 
and Dad. By 1994, though, Mom was getting pretty tired (her hours 
were horrendous as both editor and publisher) and they sold the 
paper. Unfortunately, the paper itself folded (without her inspired 
leadership) in 1996. Mom stayed very active in town, belonging 
to several groups including Kiwanis (she was the first woman 
member), and she was humbled and thrilled to become Sierra 
Madre Citizen of the Year in 1995. She was also a member of the 
Sierra Madre Women's Club and was chosen in 2010 as one of the 
Sierra Madre Treasures at the Annual Wistaria Festival. She stayed 
active and vital, rarely sitting still. 

At their retirement community in Pasadena, Mom wrote profiles of 
many of the employees and residents. She continued to find humor 
in many situations and to be positive even as the years caught up 
with her. Mom is survived by Dad,(Don Reed) Camee, Barbee and 
four beloved grandchildren — Wesley (Megan), Jayne, Sara and 
Henry. We are confident that St. Peter met Mom at the Pearly Gates 
with a typewriter, a deck of bridge cards, and directions to the 
nearest piano. She won’t sit still long.

The family will hold a private ceremony and Jan will be laid to rest 
in Sierra Madre's Pioneer Cemetery. However on February 11, 
2017, a public Memorial will be held. Details for that event will be 
forthcoming.


Artist Sonny Salsbury created this painting depicting The Osti Christmas Decorations. Salsbury is also a Grammy nominated musician 
who was born in Pasadena. He is the brother of Judith Brandley, owner of Leonora Moss in Sierra Madre. His holiday artwork has been 
on the cover of every Christmas Edition of this paper. 

MEANING OF CHRISTMAS


Christmas 
means 
something 
big has 
happened: 
God came 
for a visit. 
Think 
of what 
this means. The Creator becomes our neighbor. And why does 
God do this but to reconcile us to Himself by restoring us to our 
original purpose. And "What is that purpose?" You ask. It's to 
know God and live in joy through Him. So we celebrate Christmas 
to commemorate the birth of God's Son Jesus, and to rejoice in the 
hope that through His birth, we are understood in our humanity and 
loved in spite of our human failures. Jesus described it this way: "God 
loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that 
everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." 
(John 3:16)

 The Shepherds who came seeking Him that first Christmas were 
greeted with "Good news!" When the angels announced this good 
news, the shepherds did what anyone of us would do when we get 
good news, (Luke 2:10) they rejoiced. But they did not just rejoice, 
they kept on rejoicing (V.14) singing, "Glory to God in the highest!" 
Can't you feel their excitement? Imagine what it would be like if 
you were there on that first Christmas' you just got news that after 
centuries of darkness, sin and death, God was breaking in to rescue 
you. Do you see why they rejoiced? Now they could face life and all 
its challenges, knowing that among them would live one who could 
identify with them in their humanity, but who was God, incarnate. 
You too can celebrate this good news, with great joy because "To you 
is born a Savior." This is personal. "To you." Jesus came to you, and 
He still comes to you.

 Bethany Church of Sierra Madre, welcomes you to join us on 
Christmas morning to celebrate some good news! Our service begins 
at 10 am and you can check us out at www.bethanychurchsm.org. 
Oh, and can I tell you one more thing about this good news? It has no 
expiration date.

 Hope to see you this Sunday! Merry Christmas!

 Pastor Briant

HANUKKAH


Happy Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah or Festival of Lights to our Jewish readers! This year the holiday 
season celebrations for Christians and Jews coincide with each other. Hanukkah begins on December 24th 
and ends on January 1st.

 Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish people’s successful rebellion against the Greeks in the Maccabean War 
in 162 BCE. A ritual cleansing and re-dedication of the Temple occurred after the Jewish people’s victory. It 
is believed that there was only enough consecrated oil to keep the lamp burning for one day but the small 
bottle of oil miraculously lasted for eight days. Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is referred as the Feast 
of Lights or Festival of Lights for this reason.

 Moreover, the survival of Judaism over the many years is also celebrated during this period. The last day of 
Hanukkah, which marks the end of Hanukkah, falls on the eighth day of this period.

 Many Americans of Jewish faith also eat 
food fried in olive oil, such as potato cakes, 
and different fried breads. Hanukkah dishes 
include sufganiot (Hanukkah donuts), 
potato latkes(pancakes), mandelbrot (this can be 
sliced like a hard bread), and rugelach (pastry that 
with different fillings). The first day of Hanukkah 
is the start of a celebratory period in which a four-
sided toy called dreidel is used for games. The first 
night of Hanukkah is also a night when people 
sing traditional songs to celebrate Hanukkah. Gift-
giving is also popular at this time of the year.