Shelaine Bumgarner

Shelaine (Janes) Bumgarner, 54, of Cambridge, passed away Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames. A memorial visitation will be held from 1-3 PM on Friday, February 17, 2023 at the Counsell Woodley Funeral Home in Iowa Falls. She will be laid to rest following visitation at the Alden Cemetery. Counsell Woodley Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Iowa Falls is caring for Shelaine and her family. Shelaine Dawn Bumgarner was born on February 27, 1968, the daughter of Merlin “Ted” Dean and VerJean “Jeannie” Ann (Swift) Janes in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Shelaine was baptized on May 22, 1979 at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Williams, Iowa and confirmed December 16, 1984 at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Radcliffe, Iowa. She graduated Radcliffe Community School class of 1986 and then continued her education with the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa. Shelaine was an office manager for a number of years at Daugherty Accounting Firm, before opening and operating multiple tanning salons with locations in Ames and Des Moines. The past twenty years, Shelaine’s dedication was to Happy Feet Day Care, caring for so many babies and little kids as if they were her own. It would be wrong to say that mom lost her battle because she never stopped fighting. No matter how sick she was, she was always determined. Determined to make it home to her babies, her grand-babies, her puppy Zoie and …her bed. (If you were there with her in her last weeks, you knew just how badly she wanted her bed.) When anyone else would have broken, she stayed strong. She fought for every last breath but her body was tired. There was no quit in mom. She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She was a sassy but compassionate spirit. She lit up the room with her smile and had the most contagious laugh. The most fun person to be around. She was never too tired to be sassy or give you an eye roll. And that’s something so many of us will cherish forever. I can’t even tell you how many times she “fired” the nurses in the hospital. But she would say “I only fire my favorites!” She devoted her life to her children, her grandchildren and her daycare children. She was a mom to many and a stranger to no one. She would do anything for anyone. She had the biggest heart. She was the best mom and mammaw. There’s no question to how much she loved her babies and grand-babies. She was the best daughter, “just ask grandma…who was dumb and who was dumber.” She leaves behind a very dysfunctional family that she was very proud of and we will miss her so greatly. “Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories. Today she dances with the angels.” Shelaine Bumgarner is survived by her children, McKinsey Leigh Dawn Jones (Pierre Jones), Mercades Atoria Santone (Brennan Santone), Toriana Jean Baker (Coy Baker), Treyton Craig Bumgarner; grandchildren: Zye Jones, Zeke Jones, Atoria Santone, Stella Santone, Vincent Santone, Sullivan Baker, Stetson Baker, Sutton Baker and Soren Baker; her mother, Jeannie Janes; siblings: Deborah (Randy) Fontanini, Lindell (Meshel) Janes, Dwight Janes, Kyle (Kari) Janes, Kirk (Teri) Janes and Todd (Tiffany) Janes. She is also survived by two aunts, Butch (Dwayne) Draper and Shirley Oelmann. She was preceded in death by her father, Merlin “Ted” Janes and grandparents, O.F. Dutch (Anna) Janes and Dwight (Myrtle) Swift.

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Shelaine Bumgarner

February 27, 1968 - February 11, 2023