Jan Krancher

Jan Adolf Krancher was peacefully called home to our Heavenly Father and welcomed by all the Angels and Saints on Sunday, October 10, 2021.

Jan was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and is survived by his loving wife, Irene, his two sons Glenn and Sheldon (daughter in law Joanna Krancher), his daughter Corinne Bruno (son in law Ryan Bruno), his sister Sylvia Krancher and his 9 grandchildren, Kayla (and husband Flo), Kyle (and wife Gina), Logan, Nicole, Aubrey, Joaquin, Jude, Jazz and Josephine.

Jan was born on September 1, 1939 in Malang, the former Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. He was born to Ludwig Adolf Krancher and Henriette Jeanne Klaare and lived in Malang until he was 17.  On September 1, 1956 they departed to The Netherlands and he pursued his studies in tropical agriculture at the esteemed Rijks Hogere School voor Tropische Landbouw in Deventer, The Netherlands. After completing his studies Jan immigrated to the U.S. on September 1, 1960.

In 1962 he joined the US Army and served as a Sergeant and interpreter translator in the Division of Civil Affairs while stationed in Augsburg, Germany. During his time in the U.S. Army, he met the love of his life, Irene Joyce Hauber in 1964 and they got married on March 1, 1965 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Jan continued his education at the University of Hawaii, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Tropical Agriculture. He later earned a Masters Degree in Environmental Health Science from California State University Fresno. Jan loved learning and continued his studies and received his Ph.D. in Nutrition while working in Saudi Arabia.  He spent most of his life in the San Joaquin Valley of California and retired from the Tulare County Health Department. He lived the last years of his life in the loving care of his wife Irene in Orem, Utah where she faithfully cared for him and was by his side until the end.

One of Jan’s most esteemed accomplishments was his book entitled, The Defining Years of the Dutch East Indies, 1942-1945 : Survivors' Accounts of Japanese Invasion and Enslavement of Europeans and the Revolution That Created Free Indonesia. He was very passionate about his Dutch Indonesian cultural heritage and everything “Indo.” This passion led him to becoming a Founding Member of the Indo Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Dutch Indonesian culture.  He also had a love for genealogy and he helped several people start their family history search.

Jan never met a stranger. He loved striking up conversations with anyone and everyone, often telling jokes. He also would try to speak the native language of those he met. He loved learning languages, was fluent in many and also enjoyed international travel.

He was especially known for his generosity. Jan would give the shirt off his back to a stranger and on many occasions gave or loaned money to others without expecting to be repaid. He was also generous with his time, often volunteering in church and serving his fellow neighbors.

Jan never let a year go by without planting a garden. He was passionate about growing all kinds of things in his garden. He would spend mornings in the yard, tending to rose bushes, fruit trees, berries, and several different vegetables. He was proud of his work and would often request us to take pictures of the garden.

Most important, Jan had a devotion and love for our gracious, kind and loving God. He truly embodied and lived a Christ-centric life. He was loving, kind, humble, generous and compassionate. Please join us in the joy, peace and gratitude that we all share in celebrating the wonderful life he lived and the legacy he leaves.

Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, October 20, 2021,  at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State Street, Orem beginning at 1:00 p.m.  Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to The Indo Project https://theindoproject.org/donate/

For those unable to attend the funeral services you may view them HERE

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