Cloudy, 30° F
(Sept. 23, 2004)
The mayor of Powell when Powell was named an All America City in 1994, Janna Frazier Harkrider, died Sept. 23 at the Powell Hospital at the age of 63.
She had just returned to Powell from nearly a month's hospitalization in Billings, Mont., where she underwent two surgeries. She was on dialysis for kidney failure.
She served one term as Powell's mayor. She was elected in 1992 and served through 1996. She led the delegation to Oakland, Calif., in 1994 with Powell as a finalist for All America City designation in a National League of Cities competition. Powell was one 10 communities across the country to win the designation that year.
She was born Nov. 12, 1940, in Lamar, Colo., daughter of Joseph Alvin Frazier and Esteline (Nunnery) Frazier. She moved with her family to Powell in 1954 and graduated from Powell High School with the Class of 1958.
She then attended Northwest Community College for a year, Colorado Women's College in Denver for a year and the University of Wyoming for a year before becoming a flight attendant with Continental Airlines. In her career of more than 20 years with Continental, she was alternatingly based in Denver, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. She also flew with Continental under contract to the Military Air Command for military troop transport.
In 1978, she earned a special citation for heroism for her actions in getting passengers off a burning airliner when it crashed on takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. She later went on to become a guest lecturer for the airline industry in crash survival school training in Arizona, California and Alaska. She also served as a representative of the flight attendants union in its health and safety division and in that capacity lobbied in the halls of Congress.
She returned to Powell and subsequently completed her degree at the University of Wyoming in the early 1990s.
She had an interest in interior design, and her remodeled kitchen in California was once featured in "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine. Her home in Powell was highlighted in Western Lifestyles magazine.
She was a trained divorce mediator. She enjoyed substitute teaching in Powell, and she was a frequent judge at speech and debate tournaments at Northwest College.
During her term as mayor, she evidenced youth mentoring by establishing the Jr. City Council and by appointing youth liaison representatives to all city boards and commissions.
She was a member of the Business & Professional Women, Park County Republican Women and served as a Park County Republican precinct committeewoman. She loved to play bridge, and she coordinated weekly duplicate bridge play for the Powell chapter of American Contract Bridge League.
Her years as a flight attendant encouraged her to become a world traveler for enjoyment. Her other pursuits included music, foreign films, crossword puzzles, backgammon, good jokes, and the mountains. She was a gourmet cook and loved foods. During her years in California, she enjoyed a holiday ritual of hosting 30 graduate students for Thanksgiving dinners in Pasadena.
Survivors include her mother, Esteline in Powell; three brothers, Jerry (Vivian) Frazier in Middleton, Calif., Tom (Margie) Frazier in Portland, Ore., and Chuck (Jody) Frazier in Powell; three nephews, Kevin, Shannon and Jason Frazier; two nieces, Shawn Gehrts and Kaela Nelson; four great-nephews and one great-niece; and her loving dog, Schin.
Her father preceded her in death in 1995.
No funeral services were held. Cremation has taken place.
