Janice Marie Heiney

Janice Marie Heiney, 69, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 7th at her home.

Janice was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon to Winnie & Robert Heiney on 11/15/1950. She grew up on their Tulelake homestead and attended all schools in the Tulelake area prior to graduating from Tulelake High School in 1968.

An animal lover, Janice had horses and dogs all of her life. Around age 12, Janice’s parents purchased Poco Flint, a quarter horse colt owned by local legends-- the Vowell Brothers-- to be Janice’s first competition horse. She was always involved in equine performance and was very successful in many styles of riding. She was passionate about riding Western, Combined Training and Dressage, Drill Teams and Rodeo Competition-- Jan loved it all. During her Jr. Rodeo days, Janice won the coveted “Silver Spurs” award for all around excellence.

During her teen years, Janice earned money by training and breaking horses for many area horse enthusiasts. She had a very special way of communicating with horses; in fact she learned to ride and jump many of her horses by just using a simple rope around their necks, totally without any bits or bridles. Her skills were extraordinary.

 In June of 1968, Janice studied several months with Linda Tellington Jones, a renowned equine expert in Combined Training & Dressage. She put that training to good use and was instrumental in developing two equestrian training/competition sites in Southern Oregon: Lily Glen, NW of Klamath Falls and WinRun, SE of Malin. WinRun (named after her Mother Winnie) was one of the first United States Combined Training Association Approved Cross Country Courses in Oregon.

In 1972, Janice graduated from Portland Medical Dental College as a dental technician. Later she attended Lane Community College earning a certificate as an Oregon Licensed Denturist.  After gaining a few years’ experience, Janice started her own business as a denturist in Klamath Falls. She was devoted to her patients. In 2016, she retired and dedicated her time to her farm and animals.

Survivors include mother Lila Winifred (Winnie) Heiney, Malin; sister-in-law Leslie Thomas, Alaska; nieces Brenna Martin (Brad) and Christine Houlton (Dave) and great nephews Breckin Martin and Dylan Houlton. Special Friends include Stephanie Alcorn, Debbie Tate and caregivers Violet Heiney and Liz Davis. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Heiney and brother, Richard Heiney.

An internment and graveside service will be held at a later date.

Memorial Donations may be made to Klamath Hospice, 4745 S. 6th Street, Klamath Falls, OR  97603.