Jane Balch

Linda Jane Balch, 84, of Derby Kansas, went to be with her Heavenly Father on August 28, 2024.

She was born in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas in 1939 to Sam and Juanita Miser. Jane attended Chase County Community schools before studying Education at Emporia State University. While at ESU, she met Gary Balch and they were married January 29, 1961. After graduation, she worked as a teacher for the Wichita school district. After the birth of her two children, Scot and Shawna, she was a stay at home mom. Once the kids were older, she became a teacher in the Derby school district. After Gary’s passing in 1999, she met and married Coy Allen in 2002.

Jane was preceded in death by Gary Balch and Sam and Juanita Miser, and is survived by son, Scot and Eileen Balch, daughter Shawna and Wayne Burke, and grandchildren Kaelyn Balch & Matt Wiatrek, Ashlyn & Geoff Anderson, Macy & Kyle Saunders, Hannah & Will Humphrey, and Skyler Burke. She is expecting her first great-grandchild in December.

The visitation for Jane is Thursday, Sept. 5th from 5 - 7 pm at Smith Mortuary in Derby, KS, and the funeral is Sept. 6th at 10:30 am at Woodlawn Methodist Church in Derby, KS. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

If you’re wanting to go to the Facebook Livestream , the service will be streamed on the Woodlawn Facebook page at (www.facebook.com/derbywoodlawn). The link for the livestream only generates when the service begins.