Jan Tomlin

Mavis Jeanette “Jan” (Walker) Tomlin was born on December 30^th, 1934, in Sedan, Kansas. The fifth child of eleven born to Fred and Josie (Deboard) Walker. She spent her childhood in Sedan, graduating from Sedan High School.

Her remaining siblings remember her most as just being a good sister. One that you could depend on if you needed a new pair of shoes, or CPR, both of which she could and had to provide at one point or another in their lives.

She married the love of her life, and husband of 66 years, Edward Francis Tomlin, on December 27^th, 1958. Shortly after they were married, they moved to Colorado for Ed’s work in the gold mines. It was there that their first son, Tom, was born in 1961. They moved back to Sedan not long after and then welcomed their second son, Tim, in 1963.

After that, they moved to Johnson, Kansas for a short while, before making their forever home in Anthony, just before Tom and Tim started school.

She was always involved with her boys, and that included being the Den Mother for their Cub Scout troop for several years. One of their favorite memories is when they all went on a camping trip to the lake. Jan couldn’t swim but those boys talked her into getting into a canoe and going out on the lake anyway. She was not impressed!

Jan spent her working years as a nurse, starting out in Sedan and Moline, and then for several doctors in Anthony, including Dr. Duffey, Dr. Ludwick and Dr. Bond, who she was working for when her granddaughter Juli was born. After she no longer worked in nursing, she worked at the Anthony Hospital for many years, running the Lifeline program.

She loved to stay busy and was active as a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, The Rebekah Lodge, and the Business and Professional Women, and was once given the very fitting honor of being named their Woman of the Year.

Just like with her boys, Jan could never say no to her grandkids. She spent her later years of life being the most awesome and fun-loving grandma to Juli and Robert. She made it to every event that she could, played every game, cheated at Go Fish a time or two (she sure didn’t like to lose), and always kept ice cream on hand. What they will both remember most about her is how happy she was. You never saw her have a bad day.

Jan loved coffee and clothes. If you stopped by her house and she wasn’t home, you could just drive around town to look for her, starting at Jett’s Department Store and then moving on to Irwin Potter Drug Store to see if she was having coffee with friends. Usually, you never had to look any further than that.

In June of 2025, Jan’s health declined and she moved to the Anthony Community Care Center. In usual Jan fashion, you could find her anywhere but her room. She loved playing bingo, having coffee in the dining hall and sitting in her chair by the nurse’s station, making sure she knew what was going on and gossiping with the girls.

On February 15^th, 2026, at the age of 91, Jan passed away surrounded by her loved ones.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Josie Walker, and siblings L Ray, Eugene “Shotgun,” Dorothy, Jack, Jerry and Robert.

Those left to mourn her sweet, stubborn, ornery, and spunky soul are her husband Ed of the home; son Tom and wife Teresa of Hazelton, KS; son Tim and wife Debbie of Garden City, KS; granddaughter Juli and husband Matt of Carmen, OK; grandson Robert and fiancé Macy of Garden City, KS; bonus granddaughter Rebecca and husband Nathan, and their three boys of Goddard, KS; brothers Carl and Leo Walker and sisters Reva Ullum and Linda Thompson, several nieces and nephews, as well as a lifetime’s worth of friends made along the way.

While Jan’s time at Anthony Community Care Center was short, the care she received was the best that her family could have asked for. The nurses and staff went above and beyond during her time there, especially in her last days. For this reason, if you’d like to make a memorial contribution in her name, we ask that you give it to the Anthony Community Care Center for their activity fund. Please mail them to: ACCC 212 N. 5^th Avenue, Anthony, KS 67003 and note the activity fund in the memo.

Per Jan’s request, there will be a private service. Her family will take her to Sedan, the place she always called home, to be laid to rest with her parents.