Jan Heffelfinger passed away Monday, December 21, 2020.  He was 79. A funeral service is planned for 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 24, 2020 at Smith Funeral Home Chapel in Crowell.  Rev. Ron Fox will officiate.  Visitation will be held Thursday morning, at the funeral home, from 10 – 11 a.m.

K.J. "Jan" Heffelfinger was born July 6, 1941 in Beatrice Nebraska, the son of Clifford John Heffelfinger and Phyllis Buchanan Heffelfinger.

Jan was an avid outdoorsman.  He loved to fish and hunt.  He did bay fishing all of his life "until he moved to Crowell". His plan was to learn to fish the lakes, but unfortunately there was a drought and no water in the lakes.  He had also been a deer hunter for over 30 years, so that became his new hobby.

Jan held many different jobs in his lifetime.  As a teenager, he worked at a filling station.  During the summer he would go to Nebraska to work on his grandparent's farm. He had many fond memories of working there.  He owned his own filling station; worked at Municipal Pipe; and was a district manager for the Houston Chronicle Newspaper for 10 years before deciding to become an independent district for the Houston Chronicle Newspaper.

He is survived by his wife, Maxine Walker Heffelfinger; a daughter by a previous marriage, Tracey Whatley Terrell and her husband Larry; a granddaughter, Ashley Whatley and her children, Wyatt and Kaylee; and a grandson, Josh Whatley and son Mason of Danbury, Texas; a grandson, Gregory Whatley and wife, and children, Garrett and Ella; step children Elizabeth Rushing and husband Ray of Hewitt, Texas; Randy Reynolds and wife Ronda of Lorena, Texas; and step granddaughter Randa Kelly and husband Chris of Arlington, Tennessee; and their daughter, Rowan. He loved all of his step children, grandchildren, and great grands the same as he did his own blood. He always called them his children.

Jan was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford and Phyllis Heffelfinger and his sister, Gay Minor.