Jane Frances (Meyer) Dvorak, 77, of Brookings, SD, passed away Friday, July 21, 2023, at the Brookings Hospital. Funeral services will be held at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 629 9th Avenue, Brookings, SD, at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.  The service will be live-streamed on www.mountcalvary1.org .  The service will be able to be viewed on the Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page following the service. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service, from 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. at the church. Lunch will be served in the church fellowship hall following the service.

A committal service will be held the following day, Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Grace Hill Cemetery in Tripp, SD. A gathering of family and friends will follow at the Dugout, 108 W. 2nd St. in Tripp, SD.

Arrangements by Eidsness Funeral Chapel, Brookings, SD.

Jane Frances (Meyer) Dvorak, the only child of Reinhold and Hulda (Krueger) was born on February 15, 1946, in Parkston, SD. Faith was an important part of the Meyer household, and the family attended the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Tripp, SD, where Jane was baptized in 1946 by Rev. Shield and confirmed as a young adult by Rev. Delbert Perman.

Jane grew up on the family farm northeast of Tripp and attended Baltzer #43, a one-room country school, just two miles south of the Meyer farm, graduating from 8th grade in 1960. Jane entered Tripp High School that fall, where she was active in music, singing in all the choral groups and playing the French Horn (first chair) in the band. Jane was a gifted pianist and enjoyed playing the accordion. In addition, she was a 4-H club member and took baton lessons as a teen. Because her rural home was miles from town, she boarded in town for all four years of high school. She graduated in the spring of 1964.

On December 20, 1964, Jane was united in marriage to Allen Dvorak by the Rev. Fred Springer at the Pilgrim Congregational Church. Jane and Allen moved to Springfield, SD, where Jane began her lifelong career in higher education. They later moved near Sioux Falls, and Jane commuted to Brookings, SD, beginning a 52-year career in the Loans and Collections Department at South Dakota State University. Jane moved to Brookings in 2002 and continued to work as a Program Assistant II in that department. She dearly loved her role and the many students she interacted with over the years.

Upon her retirement on July 1, 2020, the university lauded her as one of its longest and most dedicated employees. Throughout her tenure, she was a loyal supporter of her beloved Jackrabbits and held a courtside seat at Frost Arena until her passing.

In September 2019, Jane commissioned artist Chad Guthmiller, owner of Artisan Concrete Concepts, Volga, SD, to design and construct a contemporary gazebo and fountain as a gift to SDSU's McCrory Gardens. Jane appreciated the beauty of McCrory Gardens and was delighted when the piece, titled "Centre Pointe," was dedicated in July 2021.

Early in Jane's adult life, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis began to surface; however, Jane never complained despite her daily physical pain and mobility challenges. She exhibited great mental fortitude and had a kind and very generous spirit.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Hulda in 1969 and Reinhold in 1982.

Because Jane was an only child, she was especially close to her many cousins. She is survived by her paternal cousins, Myron (Patricia) Stoebner, Tripp, SD; Patricia Carlsen Holmes, Urbandale, IA; and her maternal cousin, Merlin (Shirley) Baltzer, Parkston, SD, in addition to many relatives and dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Eidsness Funeral Chapel, 1617 Orchard Drive, P.O. Box 704, Brookings, SD 57006, or may be directed to: McCrory Gardens, the South Dakota State University Foundation, or Mount Calvary Lutheran Church.