Jan Hadley Whitcomb

Jan Hadley Whitcomb died on Wednesday, October 16 at Naval Hospital San Diego from complications of diabetes. Jan was born Susan Lane Wieman on February 20, 1946 nine months after VE Day May 1945. She was born at Salvation Army Hospital in Chicago, Illinois and adopted 20 days later by Kenneth & Mabel Hadley of South Bend, Indiana. She was raised by the Hadleys an only child, adored and the center of attention by loving, considerate and kind parents. Piano lessons, dance lessons, choir and glee club along with involved membership at First Methodist Church. At First Methodist she would meet the Whitcomb family and Leslie aka “Lee” Whitcomb, one year older and the eldest of 5. Babysitting, laundry and time with Lee’s mom Phyllis “Acorn” Whitcomb was time well spent yet much of Jan’s Whitcomb story would have to wait to be written. Some difficult time passed in her late teens and early 20s and she wrestled with her identity, the result of the mystery of closed adoption and not one iota of knowledge of her birth mother, father or physical kin. She married Ronald Applegate, also from South Bend, in 1967 and a year later her son Blair Applegate was born. In an episode that presaged her later life, during Jan’s pregnancy with Blair she wrote a letter to the Chief Physician at her hospital requesting Ron be allowed in the delivery room. Her request was denied. It was 1968. Jan worked for Ma Bell as a phone operator and later bore her daughter Ann Applegate in 1972 in Davenport, Iowa while Ron attended Chiropractic College. Her marriage ended in 1976, much to her dismay.

Within a year God’s hand reintroduced an also divorced single father Leslie Whitcomb now stationed in the US Navy in San Diego. An old-fashioned courtship through letters and phone calls led to marriage in short order and a new life in San Diego. In an unrelated coincidence, both Lee and Jan had become involved in local non-denominational bible-based churches in their own communities. Jan was surprised and intrigued at witnessing adults being fully immersed in water at baptism at Bertrand Bible Church. She already had her baptism certificate from First Methodist as a 7-month-old. After some introspection and study of scripture Jan decided to be baptized into Christ as an adult on September 19, 1976. The faith and fellowship of this season built her hope.

After a youth that experienced the internal trauma of closed adoption, a broken marriage and a short stint as a single mother Jan found herself in a more certain situation. Secure in the love of her new husband Lee, renewing her love of God, adopted into Christ, surrounded by 3 children (Lee’s son Christopher, Blair & Ann), in a warm and welcoming neighborhood on Thorn Street in sunny San Diego, Jan now blossomed into a new chapter of her life. Jan began teaching the Bradley Method of Husband Coached Natural Childbirth out he living room on Thorn Street. She advocated for husbands to be intimately involved in the support and encouragement of their wives throughout the childbirth process. She advocated for women to have confidence in the natural God given ability of their bodies to give birth to healthy, beautiful children in its’ own time, in the presence of their family, free of drugs, without induced labors, caesarean section and formula fed infants. She was a staunch advocate of breast feeding and the La Leche League which empowered women to raise their children on natural breastmilk, despite organized medicine’s outcry to the contrary during that era. Jan conducted weekly natural childbirth classes for 37 years, welcoming couples into her home, heart and life. Cross legged couples sat in her living room every Monday and Tuesday night. Lee was the movie projectionist for childbirth movies in 8MM. Blair and Ann were living testaments paraded before the couples. Endless phone calls to and from pregnant women to discuss which hospital, doctor, midwife and doula provided the best chance for natural childbirth were held within earshot of her family and the neighborhood kids playing on Thorn Street. This was a campaign against convention. And she won. Jan Whitcomb was truly an

advocate of women and the family, and the unborn. She attended hundreds of births and had thousands of families as students.

Jan was also an early proponent of homeschooling, much to the chagrin of her teenaged daughter Ann who was caught in a trap of normal teenage independence pitted against her mother’s concerns with public education. This was a hardship for Jan, Ann and stepson Chris. Jan was also a devoted wife throughout this time to Lee who served 22 years in the Navy and retired. She never worked outside her home, instead staying home to teach her children, to teach natural birth, and to participate in the neighborhood house church. She loved to bake fresh bread that would waft from the kitchen window to all the children at play. She wrote 42 songs on her living room piano. She would sing them, write the chords, the words and have the song transcribed and recorded by talented musician friends. She loved to write birthday cards and Christmas letters. A constant stream of Bradley baby reunions, birthday cards and whimsical Christmas poems arrived in mailboxes around the country as a result of her dedication. She was a friend to the end. She wrote a book that was an instruction manual to any woman who wanted to learn how to become a Bradley Husband Coached Natural Childbirth Teacher (copies still available). Jan enjoyed annual passes for decades to the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, the Wild Animal Park and regular Sunday trips to the Spreckels Organ Pavilion for their 2pm weekly concert. She enjoyed the work of musical conductor and violinist known as the Waltz King Andre Rieu. Jan looked forward to annual Drum Corp concerts in San Diego and Riverside with Lee and the family. She especially enjoyed the Santa Clara Vanguard and loved watching their rehearsals at local sports fields ahead of a competition.

Lee and Jan also spent countless trips delighting in their grandchildren in Temecula. Many trips to the parks, trains and other entertainments were weekly highlights in Jan’s life. She and Lee loved Alex, Ian, and Christian very much. Despite the miles Jan also looked forward to skype calls, letters and sending presents to her grandchildren living out of state Christopher Jr., Josie and Bryce.

In a miraculous turn of events, at the age of 71 the mystery of her adoption was revealed, and in many ways, healed. In 2017 Jan received an ancestry.com DNA kit for Christmas from Blair & Araceli. Jan found an aunt, who introduced her to a wonderful birth brother Patrick J. Andersen who had been living just up the road in Los Angeles all these years. She learned of a since passed middle sister Terry. She learned of her birth father Murray Weiman and his three brothers and sister Kathy. She learned of her mother Katherine “Kit” Weiman, the daughter of a musician. By the hand of God, Jan learned her mother was still alive in Florida with Jan’s never known before half-sisters. Jan received a phone call from her birth mother Kit Weiman in July of 2018. The first conversation between mother and daughter. Kit was 89. Jan was 71. Kit passed within the month; a chapter closed. Newfound brother Patrick has become a source of joy and laughter in the family. A long-lost brother found. Many joyous visits, phone calls, emails, and photos followed with Patrick and the rest of the Weimann clan.

Jan Whitcomb was raised in the tradition of a midwestern Indiana life by loving devoted parents. She lived an unconventional life seeking her birth identity. She was an advocate for women. She was an advocate for children. She was a devoted mother. She was a loyal and devoted wife. She was a gifted and passionate musician. She loved God, his children and the church. She rests in peace, awaiting the resurrection of the righteous.

Jan Whitcomb is survived by her husband Leslie, brother Patrick, half-brother Doug and half-sister Michele, son Blair and daughter Ann, and grandchildren Alex, Ian, Christian, Chris Jr, Josie, Bryce and Hadley Grace.