John Rudolph Jantz

1937 - 2025

Meridian, Idaho - John Rudolph Jantz, 88 passed away of natural causes, Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at his home in Meridian, Idaho. He was born in Boise, Idaho on February 4, 1937 to Rudolph and Caroline Jantz.

John lived all of his life in the Treasure Valley. He grew up on a farm near Highway 44 and Strawberry Glenn Road in Boise, on the north side of the Boise River. He was the middle child of the family. He had two older sisters, and two younger brothers. His father enjoyed teaching him everything he could about growing crops, raising livestock, and carpentry.

John's dad, Rudolph Jantz, built a large barn (160 ft. x 60 ft.) the year John was born. The barn was set up for raising hogs, and featured farrowing pens for 40 brood sows, along with a 10-stanchion milking barn, and grain grinding area. The family also raised a large garden, and several acres of onions to keep the neighbor kids busy weeding in the summer. Later, the Jantz family raised chickens and sold eggs to local hospitals and M-K construction crews. The barn was home to 1000 laying hens. In 1947, John helped his dad build the "new house" at 6840 Strawberry Glenn Road, and it became the Jantz family gathering place for decades to come.

As a 6-year old boy, John remembered the Big Flood of the Boise River in 1943. The big barn had 4 feet of water in it, and all of the hogs had to be moved to higher ground. The little pigs were put in feeders and floated to dry areas, and the sows could swim along. This was before dikes along the river were built to prevent flooding. In 1953, Lucky Peak Dam and Reservoir were constructed.

As farm boys living near the river, John and his good friend, Ray Franz, spent many weekends playing, hunting, and fishing. John attended school at Pierce Park Elementary, North Junior High, and graduated Boise High School in 1954. Soon after graduation, he joined the Idaho National Guard and was a member of the 116 Armored Cavalry, then the 882 Engineers, which eventually became the 116 Aviation Company. He served seven years in the National Guard.

John attended Boise Junior College and majored in engineering. Just after he started classes at Boise Junior College, John's father became very sick. John left school and he got a job hauling milk from Emmett to the Idaho Creamery in Boise. One morning, John slipped on the ice while loading one of the 10-gallon milk cans and fractured his back. Carl Yanke knew his situation, and offered John a job at the machine shop on Front Street, and that was the beginning of his lifelong career with Yanke's. John's father died in 1957.

John and his friends from high school, Ron Yanke, Tom Harris, and Jack Stewart ran around doing crazy things. They enjoyed water skiing at Lucky Peak Reservoir, and learned to ski a 3-man and 5-man pyramid, with John on the top. They went to dances in Idaho City, and there John met Linda Schwager's roommate, "Hooty." John married Hooty Callen on May 24, 1959, and they had two daughters, Ina and Cass.

John attended college in the mornings and worked at the machine shop in the afternoon and evenings. He was a self-taught journeyman machinist and welder. Throughout his career there was not a job that he hadn't done or couldn't do. He was one of only a few men at Yanke's who mastered the skill of gear hobbing and sprocket cutting. John took over as Machine Shop Foreman not long after the move to Capitol Boulevard in 1961. He was 24 years old. As the business grew to include a fabrication shop, John soon moved into the office as Operations Manager. He was very involved and had the final say from estimating, design, layout, machining, fabrication, field installation, purchasing and invoicing. He helped build a machining, welding, and fabrication business that was the leader in the industry.

In the mid 1970's Yanke's was booming. John led the plan for the move to the new shop on Gekeler Lane. Every lathe, mill, press, welder and brake was drawn out on a floor plan for precise positioning for maximum manufacturing efficiency. It was a "Henry Ford" strategy, and they gained more customers, more employees and equipment, and took on bigger and bigger projects. John thrived at the challenge. He took great pride in making sure all his employees felt valued. Many of his coworkers were also dear long-time friends, and they spent time together outside of work. John built a terrific team of managers, and they strived to provide customers the best service possible.

John traveled around the country to jobsites. He enjoyed seeing a job through to completion. Early on, when Yanke's did emergency repair work for the Boise Cascade sawmills, he'd sometimes deliver parts himself just to get them to the customer when needed. He would often drive to regional jobsites, and anyone who ever rode with him to Nevada, said they were "flying in the Ford" because he drove so fast and did not stop for anything but fuel. He frequently visited larger projects, such as a hydroelectric plant in Asheville, NC, and asphalt plants or material handling projects in California and Nevada. John and his dear friend and colleague, Claude Swarthout, were contracted to consult on a gold mining project in Magadan, Russia. It was a big adventure for two Idaho farm kids on the dark, cold eastern coast of Russia.

John wanted to start his own business, and in 1975, he and two partners, Bill Webb and Ron Yanke, established Layne of Idaho, in Nampa. Soon he had three more water pump companies: Layne Pump, Inc.; GJ Verti-line in Kimberly, Idaho; and Layne of Washington, Pasco, Washington. Those businesses are still thriving today.

John married Myrna Lee Hess on March 25, 1977, and added three more children to the family - Adele, Lance and Alana. They were happily married for nearly 48 years.

John and Myrna enjoyed traveling together. They took many trips with family and friends. John loved to drive so that he could really see the country. They drove through nearly every road in Idaho, through the West and Midwest, and even north through Canada to Alaska. They visited family in Ohio, and toured the Amish Country. They flew to the east coast and drove through the New England states, visited Boston, and Washington, DC. They enjoyed vacationing in Hawaii several times. They also took cruises with friends in the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.

In 1985, John and Myrna purchased a building site at Terrace Lakes, Idaho, and they designed and built a cabin. It was a wonderful family destination, and they created many memories there. In 1996, they designed and built a house on Clearvue Drive in Meridian. John had always wanted a home with a view, and they enjoyed the view of the Boise Valley. Many family parties and weddings were held at the Clearview house. It was their dream home until they chose to downsize and move to a smaller property.

John was proud of his German heritage, being a first-generation American and Idaho native. He was a long-time member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, a church that his father help build, and a current member of Hope Lutheran Church in Eagle. He believed in giving back to the community and not just with a donation of money. Up until just this past year, he was still spraying weeds and helping with irrigation projects at Hope Lutheran. He loved BSU football and was a Bronco Booster. When Boise was celebrating the Boise River Festival, John was actively involved in the design and fabrication of the original Boise River Floats. He coordinated an all-volunteer team of Yanke employees moving the floats into position, launching, and portage.

John was a "get it done" kind of guy. He wouldn't ask you to do anything that he would not do himself. He was loving, honest and loyal. He loved working, and he woke up early and whistled around the house before taking off to work. Being responsible, productive, organized, clean, and on time was how he lived life. (On time meant fifteen minutes early or earlier.) He loved his family and would help them in any way he could. It was hard to go anywhere without running into someone John knew; he enjoyed seeing old friends, and made new friends wherever he went.

John is survived by his wife, Myrna; children Ina Jaszkowiak (Tim), Cass Cook, Adele Martin (Curtis), Lance Hess (Shelly) and Alana Pierce (Ed); grandchildren, Peter Jaszkowiak (Emma) and Mark Jaszkowiak, Jessica Martin, Amy Hunt (Robert), Megan Zaldain (Trever), Jennifer Leeds, Hannah Hess, and Clay Hess; and 14 great-grandchildren. John is also survived by his brother, Ken Jantz (Linda), and numerous nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents, granddaughter Sarah Jean Cook; brother, Allen Jantz; and sisters, Rose Hamilton and Lena Heikes.

In lieu of flowers the family would like to request donations be made to Hope Lutheran Church, Eagle, ID for grounds, building, maintenance, or improvement projects; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation (giving@chop.edu); the American Cancer Society; or the charity of your choice.

The family would like to thank First Choice Hospice for their care during John's illness, and gentle support after his death.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Rockies, 717 N. 11th Street, Boise, Idaho.