Jane was born on October 22, 1928, to Albert W. Henderson and Clara Fowler Henderson in Terrell, Texas. After Jane graduated from Austin High School in 1946, she went on to study Applied Math with a minor in Business at the University of Texas at Austin and did graduate work in Actuarial Science.
After graduating with a degree in Applied Math, she started her first job as Assistant Actuary at Great American Reserve Insurance Company.
In 1949, Jane met Joe W. Farmer, Jr., in Dallas, Texas. They married in 1950 and moved to Austin. Jane and Joe went on to have two children, Phyllis Fay Farmer and Joe W. Farmer, III. They were active members of First Baptist Church for over 40 years.
Jane enjoyed needlework, painting, gardening (including heirloom roses and xeriscaping), reading and the performing arts. She played string bass at Allen Jr. High, Austin High Orchestra, Austin High Concert Band, Austin Jr. Symphony, and the University of Texas Orchestra. She was a member of the UT Turtle Club – women’s synchronized swimming. She continued to do daily the 25-minute exercise routine she learned in the Turtle Club until age 92.
Following the example of her mother (Clara Henderson) and aunt (Frances Wallace), Jane was a member of P.E.O., Chapter R, for 59 years (President, 1972-1973). P.E.O. is an organization that raises money for the education of women.
Jane enjoyed volunteer work for the St. David’s Hospital Auxiliary (1970’s-80’s), the Austin Public Library Book Sale (1980’s) and helped plant the Butterfly Garden at Zilker Park. Jane said volunteers were more likely to enthusiastically work if provided with coffee and snacks and so she would fill up the trunk of her car with the 30-cup coffee maker and boxes of cookies.
Jane was greatly influenced by her mother, Clara Henderson, her Aunt Frances Wallace, her Aunt Ida Alexander, and her mother-in-law, Ruby Wells Farmer, all of whom managed to raise their children during the depression and all of these children graduated from college!
Jane was predeceased by her husband, Joe. She is survived by daughter Phyllis Fay Farmer; son Joe W. Farmer, III, and wife Jill Farmer; grandson Matthew Joseph Farmer and wife Chelsea; granddaughter Stacy June Farmer; great-granddaughter Dylan Farmer; and great-grandson Grayson Farmer.
Services will be held at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, 2023. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (PCE) https://donations.peointernational.org/peo-donation-pce (the Chapter to receive credit is R/TX).
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