Janet Hinderer Obituary

Durango resident Janet Kay Hinderer died of cancer Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Durango. She was 59.

Mrs. Hinderer was born to Marvin and Gertrude Erickson on Jan. 9, 1954, in Williston, N.D. As a child, she and her brothers toured churches in the Pacific Northwest singing gospel harmonies. She would enjoy singing the rest of her life.

She graduated from Williston High School in 1972 before going on to earn an associate's degree in interior design from the University of North Dakota at Williston.

"Janet liked making lists and plans," her family said. "Grocery lists, craft material lists and weekly schedules, she brought order and structure to all of her projects."

On June 21, 1975, she married Daryl Hinderer in Williston.

She organized the family business, Hinderer Brothers Inc., and ran the office from the beginning, teaching herself bookkeeping, invoicing and running the payroll.

"Janet applied herself fully to everything," family said. "She decided to get into better shape, and so she exercised very faithfully five days a week, rarely missing a day. She proved that if you work out on an elliptical machine long enough, you'll eventually be exercising next to Oprah."

The Hinderer family moved to Durango from Williston in 1992. They moved back to Williston from 2008 to 2011, when they started traveling in their RV full time. They continue to own their home here, and her family said they consider Durango to be their home.

Mrs. Hinderer loved to be outside observing nature and flowers, gardening, fishing, camping, traveling, shopping and cooking. According to her family, she was artistic, working in ceramics, mosaics, beading and decorating.

"With all of this discipline and order, you'd expect someone stern and cold, but Janet was the opposite of that," her family said. "She was warm, compassionate and expressed pure sweetness and joy to all around her. She would apologize to every worm she baited before casting it into the water in search of walleye."

Mrs. Hinderer is survived by her husband of 38 years, Daryl Hinderer, of Durango; children Bryce Hinderer of Los Alamos, N.M., Darren Hinderer of Portland, Ore., and Julie Cron of Ketchikan, Alaska; brothers Larry Erickson of Fargo, N.D., and Rod Erickson of Bismarck, N.D.; and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. today, July 20, 2013, at the River Church, 860 Plymouth Drive in Durango. A luncheon will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 21636 U.S. Highway 160 West.