Crooks Fife, Jane Geniel

Despite hardships, Geniel graduated from Shelley High School in 1950 and immediately enrolled in and later graduated from Idaho Falls Business College. After attending the University of Utah in 1954, Geniel decided to serve a two-year full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1956, she was called to serve in the Swiss-Austria Mission where she learned German and a love for the Swiss and Austrian people. Upon her return to Shelley in 1958, Geniel agreed to go to a church dance with another returned missionary named (Charles) Lynn Fife from neighboring Ammon, Idaho. Three months later, Geniel and Lynn married in the LDS Logan Temple. Their union was blessed with eight children: Charles Fife, John Fife, David Fife, Stephen Fife, Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, Jane Anne Fife, and Carolyn (Fife) Bever.

Lynn and Geniel balanced each other in many ways, and Lynn was eternally grateful to have Geniel by his side. Lynn wrote: "I have come to the conclusion that God has known me from the beginning and has extended to me an almost continuous stream of 'tender mercies' (1 Nephi 1:20). One of them is Geniel." As Lynn got older, the more he recognized the singular influence Geniel brought to the family. While Dad was the stern father, Mom was the source of unconditional love. Lynn preceded Geniel in death December 4, 2019. They were married 61 years.

Geniel remained devoted to her faith and family throughout her life. She was a full-time mother to her eight children and later several foster children. Geniel was a devoted grandmother and great grandmother.

Geniel believed that the food you eat is "either the most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison." She never drank a drop of alcohol or touched tobacco or drugs. She rarely consumed refined sugar, meat, or highly processed foods. She also believed in physical exercise and loved to work in her garden. At age 89, she decided to pick up ballroom dancing (including salsa, samba, tango and waltz) at a Fred Astaire Dance Studio and later performed and competed with her dance partner Luis Fernando Morenop.

Geniel believed in serving others. Posted on Geniel's mirror along with other aspirational questions and quotes was the following: "What problem can I solve for someone today?"

Geniel lived a life of faith. She understood and accepted her own vulnerability and the vulnerability of all human beings. She believed in a loving God who accepted her, and she demonstrated a tremendous ability to accept and be open to others. Her genuineness and care allowed her to be deeply influential. Geniel was a true optimist and saw her ongoing development as important and divine. In every disappointment, there were lessons to be learned. Geniel's faith is best captured in a Mormon scripture that reads: "[I]t is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23)

Geniel used her faith only to judge her own shortcomings-never to judge the shortcomings of others. She used her faith to control her own life-never to control the decisions of others.

Geniel was deeply devoted to her children. When asked about her proudest accomplishment, Geniel said simply, "My kids." When asked about their own greatest blessing, each child has said, "That you are my mother."

The celebration of Geniel's life will be held Saturday, March 30 from 10:30 a.m. at the Essex Junction Chapel, located at 73 Essex Way Town of Essex, VT 05452. The service is open to the public.

Please RSVP for the service and luncheon to follow at: pp.events/genielfife Jane Geniel Crooks Fife