Jane Scudder

During summers when her children were young, Jane Scudder would load up the family into a station wagon and trek to their summer cottage at Lake James. There were the five kids - Peter, Paul, Sallie, Susan and Sandie - plus the family dog, Fred, a lamb named Albert, and two raccoons, who were all part of the family. Passersby on the highway looked into the car with amazement at the menagerie that was traveling north. Jane loved animals, and her home (and sometimes car) was always filled with children and all kinds of pets - except cats, of course, for which she had a lifelong disdain. Jane Hattendorf Scudder died in the early hours of Oct. 28, 2025. She was 91. Jane was born on Aug. 6, 1934, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the daughter of Dr. Anton and Elizabeth Hattendorf. She graduated from Southside High School in Fort Wayne in 1952. She attended Indiana University where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, graduating in 1956 with a degree in education. Always a strong student, she made good grades all her life. She later returned to IUFW to earn a degree in nursing and worked as a Registered Nurse for over 15 years. She married her college sweetheart, Dr. James Peterson Scudder ("Pete") in 1955. Jane and Pete raised five children and were married for 49 years before his death in 2004. She enjoyed cooking, collecting recipes, and entertaining her friends and family. She loved to travel and was well known for making shortbread "bus cookies" which were enjoyed by everyone in the family on RV trips. She has passed on her love for cooking and baking to all five of her children. Today, her children continue to make many of her favorite recipes for Jane's grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed sipping wine from an orange juice glass while she cooked. She was an accomplished baker and always had homemade goodies on hand for her family and friends. She enjoyed hosting her friends for dinner parties in her home. Jane had a group of friends that she remained close with throughout her life, that became affectionately known as "the Pelicans." She greatly enjoyed playing bridge and frequently going out for lunch with the Pelicans. These friendships extended to the entire families of the women who made up the Pelicans and were very important and influential in Jane's life as well as her children's lives. Jane was a great dancer and frequently went out dancing with her husband. They also traveled extensively and enjoyed seeing the world together. Jane and Pete especially enjoyed the trips to the Caribbean they took with their group of close friends. Jane enjoyed spending time with her adult children and grandchildren. She was very involved in the lives of her grandchildren who lived nearby, frequently attending games, concerts, and other special events. She also liked to visit her children and grandchildren who lived out of town and stayed in touch by phone to keep up on all the details of their lives. She was a member of the Fort Wayne Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Allen County Medical Auxiliary, Psi Iota Xi philanthropic sorority, the Fort Wayne Chapter of the Philanthropic Educational Organization, and the Junior League of Fort Wayne. She is preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Pete Scudder; her parents, Dr. Anton and Elizabeth Hattendorf; and her sister, Janice Hattendorf. She is survived by her five children, Pete Scudder of Cincinnati, Ohio, Paul Scudder (Cynthia Fountaine) of Arlington, Texas, Sallie Corbat (John, deceased) and Susan Pastre (John) of Fort Wayne, Sandra Cates (Pete) of Brookville, Indiana; twelve grandchildren, Sam Scudder (Julia), Jackson Scudder, Charlie Scudder (Hanna), Maggie Scudder (Megan Odaniell), James Corbat (Rachel Ulicini), Joseph Corbat (Sarah Johnson), Meredith Kuehnle (Ben), Collin McCracken, Megan Wiening (Logan), Molly McCracken, Catherine Cates, Conner Cates; and five great-grandchildren. In accordance with Jane's wishes, there will be no public calling or funeral. She will be laid to rest with a private memorial. The family requests that memorial donations be made to Stillwater Hospice (https://stillwater-hospice.org/donate-2/donate/) or the American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/indiana.html).