Janae Ellen Kile

Janae Kile, sixty-plus year Sagle resident, passed away in her Sagle home on December 29th, 2021.

Janae was born June 6, 1946 in Ontario, California to John and Juanita Rhodes and lived there until moving to Sagle with her mother, Juanita and brother, Jack as a teenager. She attended Sandpoint High School and weather permitting, was known to row a boat from the family home in Bottle Bay to Sandpoint.

Janae married Jim Kile, youngest son of Elmer and Beulah Kile of Sagle on Christmas Eve of 1963. Jim and Janae celebrated 58 years of marriage a few days before her passing.

Janae and Jim had three children, Janice, Benny and Michelle. Janae mothered them, as well as innumerable animals over the years. Her passions were her yard and garden, befriending neighborhood folks older than her whom she could learn from and enjoy, and animals of any kind. Janae had a talent for nurturing and nursing animals thought to be beyond help and enjoyed many special relationships with horses, dogs, cats, chickens and farm animals throughout her lifetime. It wasn’t uncommon for Janae to add an injured or motherless animal to the household without a second thought. She loved an evening of pinochle games with friends and family and to poke fun and laugh.

After her children were in school, Janae began working part time for the United States Postal Service in Cocolalla. Within a few years, she was a full time mail carrier at the Sagle Post Office, where she took immense pleasure and pride in serving her customers. In one instance, a card addressed only “Grandpa, Gun Club Rd, Sagle, ID” was sorted to her.  Janae, after years of delivery, was familiar with so many of her customers. Rather than return it to the sender, she attached a note to the card asking the customer to put it back in the box if they weren’t the right “Grandpa” based on the return address. She delivered it to consecutive Gun Club Grandpa’s until, several Grandpas down, the correct one got his Fathers Day card. Janae loved solving problems and helping people.

During her years at Sagle Post Office, Janae made lifelong friendships with many of her co-workers and customers. Through 28 years of service, she immensely enjoyed and appreciated her work, and those friendships.

Janae is survived by her husband Jim of Sagle, son Benny (Barbara) Kile of Yuba City, CA and their sons Brayden and Bryce; her daughter Michelle Kile Guinard of Sagle, ID and her children Trevor Ginard (Diane), Sierra Guinard and Sam Guinard (Ceecee); and her daughter Janice Kile of Hope, ID and her children Michael (Emma) Hoagland and Teresa (Mike) Stevens. Janae loved her many nieces and nephews, as well as the great grandchildren she enjoyed so much. She was blessed to live next door to the three youngest and enjoyed the title of  “Pattycake” to those little ones, who were the light of her days.

Janae was preceded in death by her brother, James Rhodes, and her beloved granddaughters Helena and Carissa.

Janae expressed her wish that no formal services be held in her memory.  Her family and friends will remember her when hens chatter and a rooster crows, when the hummingbirds are buzzing and birds are feeding their summertime babies. When the crocuses and rose bushes bud, the willies, peonies, tiger lillies, and cosmos are wild with blossoms, we’ll know Janae is smiling with us and curling her bare toes in the warm sand at last.