It seems as if several folks have not been able to open/download attachments to the mail list, so here is the text cut directly into an email. It does loose the formatting, so the original DocX file is also attached. Please distribute this to other folks who have experienced Herb and Jan. Thanks.
DirtDoc --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jan Conn Request for Stories and Remembrances By Dwight Deal, Dennis and Penny Knuckles, and Daryl and Cheryl Stisser It will embarrass Jan terribly to read this and know that I have told the whole world that she will turn 97 this spring! Congratulations Jan, for being, along with Herb, inspiration for generations of climbers and cavers. You have helped us all to a better and more enjoyable understanding of the world around us. Many of you have heard that Herb and Jan’s cozy but simple dwelling, Conn Cave, burned to the ground Monday afternoon, January 25, 2021. The probable cause was flammable materials too close to a small wood-burning stove. It was still daylight and Jan and her cat, Vixen, escaped without injury. Lots of folks want to know what they can do to help out. At this time Jan has everything she needs and is OK financially. Jan has a circle of local friends who have rallied to the occasion. Two special families, Daryl and Cheryl Stisser and Dennis and Penny Knuckles, are providing wonderful support for Jan and a place for her to live. Daryl and Cheryl Stisser are long-time friends of Herb and Jan through their climbing. From 2006 to mid 2020 the Stissers ran the rock-climbing school at Sylvan Lake (in the Needles) and at Devil’s Tower National Park. They have a nice home a short walk through the woods from Conn Cave. Jan is now living in their spare bedroom. Dennis and Penny Knuckles are retired Park Service folks who live a few miles from the Conn Cave and the Stissers. Dennis and Penny came to Jewel Cave a few years after I left the area. Herb and Jan enticed them into the exploration effort where their many years of shared experiences began. Dennis and Penny are helping Jan with “public” chores in town as all three of them have had their COVID shots. Daryl writes: “Jan and her kitty Vixen escaped unharmed and are now staying with Cheryl and me here in a room that was built with her in mind. While this was not the way any of us expected it to happen, at nearly 97 years old it is a new chapter in Jan's adventure and she is much more positive about her situation than you would expect. It is great to be able to share modern comforts and be of company to Jan. In Jan's words ‘the Conncave was fun while it lasted’. Her needs are simple and her small carbon footprint inspiring. She may not yet admit to liking it here, as she is adjusting to a big change in independence. Jan does not express any desire to venture outside in the cold as she would have had to endure several times a day over at her place. So she does seem to enjoy some of the perks of the new situation. Dennis writes: ”We’re slowly getting her identification and legal documents in order. We asked her to give up driving (her expression of independence) for her sake and many others. So now it's a little bit like "Driving Ms Jan", getting her to the clinic, going to the bank, and shopping for groceries (snacks). She hits the ground "running", grabs a shopping cart and occasionally looks back to see if she's "lost the kid" somewhere around the dairy section. When we visit her favorite rock formations, she’s still planning out the best route to the top! Spending any time with her in whatever form it takes is precious! Daryl continues: “If you're interested in helping, one thing to do is write her a letter. Letters were always the way the Conns loved to keep in contact. With many of Jan's friends already dead there is lots less mail than there used to be. This lost art of the written word that arrives in the form of a letter makes Jan light up. When the mail arrives, it is as though a teenager is getting their cell phone back after being without it for a week. She immediately sifts through it and it's like an old school form of getting 'Phubbed.' Since the decades of journals were lost in the fire, we are specifically asking folks to share stories (with approx. dates if possible) of their experiences or adventures with Jan and Herb. Even if you met the Conns in passing or were inspired by a presentation at a convention or Grotto meeting, or just saw them out and about or their story or lifestyle had an effect on you, please jot it down or type it up and share it. We will get it to her and would like to collect these things in some sort of volume to recreate a little of the record that was lost. If you have a copy of a letter from Herb and Jan (Herb typed up a lot of the longer ones, but both shared the writing), consider sending her a copy. All written memories were lost in the fire. If you have crawled through Jewel or Wind Cave you have shared a space with the Conns. While Jan sometimes humbly comments on how odd it is to receive mail from people she doesn't really know or remember, it is always well received. Often a story results, and there is a good chance, as time allows, you will get a return letter from her, so please include your contact info. Covid19 has complicated much of this transition, and we have had to adopt old folks home rules of no visitors. We hope you understand and respect this. It sounds like it will be a while before Cheryl and I can get the vaccine so in an effort to avoid needing to move Jan somewhere else if we got sick, we are doubling down on not catching it. Contact info: Jan Conn 24878 Rocky Road Custer, SD 57730 Snail Mail is best, but we set up an email account for her and will check it and print things out for her. janhc...@gmail.com mailto:janhc...@gmail.com Dwight just received a letter from Jan, where she writes “If life consisted only of what we planned it could get pretty dull. It’s the unexpected that gives life it’s punch. Who would go caving if we already knew what was around the next turn?” We would like as many of you as possible to send your stories, anecdotes or remembrances of any adventures you may have had with Herb and Jan. It doesn't have to be actual cave trips; it could be a reflection on how the Conns inspired you to pursue caving or climbing. Have you used their Apple-Logan Bread recipe? Have you heard Jan gargle/yodel through one of her caving songs? We're trying to collect as many of these recollections before May 1st but they are welcome anytime. The Conn's have touched quite a few lives over the years in so many ways. She'd be surprised to find out just how many. Dwight, Dennis, Penny, Daryl, and Cheryl
1-FINAL Jan Conn for NSS NEWS 2-19-2021.docx
Description: MS-Word 2007 document
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