Devera Sneed
courtesy photo
Devera Sneed
POLSON — Devera “Jan” Sneed, 65, of Polson, Montana passed peacefully at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020, in her home from natural causes. Born on Aug. 3, 1955, in Atlanta, Georgia, she was the only daughter of DK “Chunky” Henderson and Charlene Henderson. She is survived by her two children, Charles and Melissa.
Jan spent much of her youth in West Point, New York, where her father taught courses at the academy. Later, the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, raising her kids there. She worked in a variety of occupations before finding her calling as an elementary school teacher. She loved the children in her classes and seeing them grow into smart, funny, well-rounded adults brought joy to her heart. She moved to Polson in 1999 and continued helping people while working for DOVES (Domestic Violence Education and Services), Ronan Housing Authority, and retired from Opportunity Resources Inc. in 2016 where she was a case manager for developmentally disabled adults in Lake County.
When Jan wasn’t out fishing with Debi Edwards, who preceded her in death, they were road tripping and going on all kinds of new and unknown adventures. When they weren’t on the road, you couldn’t keep Jan in a seat long enough to watch a movie all the way through because she was always busy building or fixing something. Jan and Deb were huge softies and took in many rescues of a variety of species over the years; that household rarely had less than five furry friends roaming around.
She touched many lives and always strove to be kind to everyone because “you never know what they’re up against, that little bit of light may be the only thing that helps someone out of the dark.”
No public services will be held, but any and all friends are invited to contact Melissa Sneed at PO Box 846, Polson, MT 59860, to arrange for a private gathering to honor her memory.
Donations in her name may be made to any of the following causes:
Opportunity Resources - Helping developmentally disabled folks in the Lake County area (https://www.orimt.org/donate) or
SafeHARBOR - Helping victims of domestic violence escape their abusers (https://safeharbormt.org/donate-3/) or
Life Savers Animal Rescue - Helping homeless pets find their “furever” family (https://www.lsar.org/contact-us/)
