Jane Elizabeth Frey

Jane Elizabeth (Swanson) Frey, passed away on Sunday, September 15th, 2024, exactly one month after her 84th birthday. She is survived by her two siblings, Ralph Swanson (Nancy) and Mae (Swanson) Harms, her step-daughter LeeAnn Reinfeldt, son Sean Frey, and daughter Kathy Clark. Jane also has five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Jane was widowed in March 2023, when her husband, Lysle Lee Frey of 60 years passed away.

Jane was born in Kearney, Nebraska on August 15th, 1940, but she grew up in Kimball, Nebraska. When she was 16 years old, her father, Edwin Alfred Swanson, passed away. Shortly after his passing, she and her mother Marion Ephamy (Cedarblade) Swanson moved to Denver, Colorado.

After moving to Denver, Jane completed some college courses for secretarial type work. In September 1962, Jane and Lysle L Frey were married in Denver, Colorado. They resided in Arvada, Colorado; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and back to Lakewood, Colorado. While in Milwaukee, she worked for a cemetery and in Colorado, she worked for a doctor with the University of Colorado doing secretarial work. They were part of the planning and development group for what is now Auraria Campus.

In December 1971, Jane and Lysle settled on Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado, for the next 45 years. Here she loved to watch the wildlife. Birds, squirrels, elk, deer, the occasional bobcat, bear and mountain lion were also known to come around. However, Jane’s favorite was a red fox that loved to eat any scraps she’d share with it.

Together Lysle and Jane worked hard to build a home. After Sean was born, Jane became a homemaker and caregiver to her children and mother Marion until she passed in 1977. Later she became a caregiver to her Aunt Corine Cedarblade and Uncle Clifford and his wife Amy Cedarblade, until their passing in the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. Then she had her grandchildren which she adored, especially her only granddaughter. Jane also had a love for reading, most often they were historical fiction and non-fiction. She also did some sewing and crafts. In her earlier years, she and her oldest niece enjoyed playing tricks on people, especially on those getting married.

When Lysle and Jane could no longer take care of the 4500 square foot home and 1.5 acres of land, they purchased a much smaller home in Arvada, Colorado in July 2016. They resided there for 5 years, before moving to an assisted living at Golden Pond Retirement Community in late October 2021.

Prior to moving to the assisted living, Jane fell early one morning in November 2019. She was hospitalized for several weeks. This event accelerated the decline of her mental and physical abilities. In July 2024, Jane was moved to a room in the memory care unit at Golden Pond Retirement Community. There she began to thrive again and was attending meals in the dining room as well as occasionally participate in activities. Within a few weeks after moving Jane had several falls, for which she was not able to recover from. Jane was known for her spunkiness and stubbornness. At Golden Pond Retirement Community, they loved her silliness, sarcasm and humor. She will be missed.