Jane Katherine Huggins

Jane Katherine (Harris) Huggins passed away peacefully at her home in Chatsworth, California on December 11, 2021 as a result of natural causes at the age of 95.

Jane was born to James Hubert and Mary Katherine (Bensinger) Harris on September 8, 1926 in Evansville, Indiana. She was the second child, her brother James Warren having been born in 1921 in Central City, Kentucky. Their father worked in the coal mining industry in Kentucky. By 1930, the family had moved to Herrin, Illinois where Jane’s younger sister, Barbara Ann, was born in 1931.

At age 16, Jane began dating William George Huggins who was also from Herrin. On December 6th, 1942, she and George eloped to Cape Girardeau, Missouri where they were married. Two months earlier, in October 1942, George had enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He was assigned to Spartanburg, South Carolina after training as an Aviation Radioman.

While serving in Spartanburg, their first child, Dennis Ray, was born on May 7, 1944. By 1945, George and Jane had been transferred to Jacksonville, Florida where he was discharged on December 3rd, 1945.

After his discharge, the family returned to Herrin, Illinois where their next child, Janis Kay was born on August 26th, 1946, followed by Sandra Sue on February 3rd, 1948, and Daryl Gene on November 6th, 1951. In May 1952, they moved from Illinois to the San Fernando Valley in California with the encouragement of Jane’s brother Jim. In October 1953, using a G.I. Home Loan, they bought a new, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house in Mission Hills, California. Soon, George began working in the aerospace industry, and Jane worked hard as a stay-at-home Mom tending to the children. It was there that their last child, Nancy Diane, was born on December 7, 1955.

Because she dropped out of school early in her life to get married, Jane became encouraged by the high school attendance of their oldest child, Dennis. Jane began again working on her education, and in 1962, both Dennis and Jane were awarded their high school diplomas.

By the time George retired in 1991, Jane and George had lived in the same house for 58 years. However, health issues, and an inability to properly care for their home alone, became too much. So, they accepted a kind offer from their daughter Janis, and her husband Bob, to share their home in Chatsworth, California. It was there that Jane lost her husband, George, in 2014 after 71 years of marriage.

Jane is survived by her children Dennis, Janis Dittmann, Sandra (George) Sheldon, Daryl (Karen) and Nancy (Duwayne) Williams. In addition, she is survived by 7 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to the loss of her husband, George, she was preceded in death by her father in 1972, her mother in 1991, her brother Jim in 2006, and her sister Barbara in 2014, as well as her great-grandson, Jermey Robert Peachey in May 2021.

She was the matriarch of the family and will be lovingly remembered by so many family and friends. She will be missed. The family would like to express a special thank you to our loving and caring sister, Janis Dittmann, for all the years she devoted to their Mother and Father while they lived in her home. A special thank you is also given to her caregiver, Kim, for the care and kindness you showed to our Mother at the end of her life. We can’t thank you both enough.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, January 14th at Chapel of the Oaks, Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery, 22601 Lassen St. Chatsworth, CA.