Jane "Janie" Frances Hightower's Obituary
Jane “Janie” Frances [Hoelzeman] Hightower, born August 23, 1944, in Morrilton, AR, passed away May 22, 2026 at the Circle of Life Hospice Home in Bentonville with her children at her side.
Jane’s life began in the lively swirl of a large Catholic family in Morrilton, where she grew up as one of nine children born to Bernice and Joseph Hoelzeman, Sr. The Hoelzeman household was deeply rooted in Sacred Heart Catholic Church and its school, where Janie was educated. The values that shaped her there—faith, generosity, and care for those in need—remained the guiding principles of her life. Fittingly, the spirit in which she lived is reflected in the words of Francis of Assisi, one of her favorite saints: “[Mankind will] lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give.”
In 1966, she married Robert “Bob” Hightower, and together they raised three children while moving throughout the South for Bob’s work as a center director for Job Corps. Though primarily a stay-at-home mother during her children’s early years, Janie’s curiosity and sense of purpose rarely stayed confined to any single role for long. She volunteered extensively within Job Corps communities, working as an academic tutor and craft teacher for students. This gave her the opportunity to stay involved in Bob’s work, fueling post-work conversations around the kitchen table. She later trained in the Laubach Method for adult literacy instruction, visited the elderly confined to nursing homes, and tutored elementary students after the couple retired in Little Rock to be closer to family.
Long before environmental consciousness became commonplace, she quietly practiced and advocated for conservation in her daily life. In the 1980s, she helped establish a recycling program in Ozark, and, years earlier, had faithfully embraced President Jimmy Carter’s energy-saving initiatives during the 1970s energy crisis — despite her children’s dramatic insistence that surviving a Georgia summer without constant air conditioning constituted cruel and unusual punishment.
Janie had the rare gift of making memory feel immediate and alive. Her beloved siblings, neighborhood friends, and their adventures populated her childhood memories, which she shared with her children throughout her life. She was a natural storyteller — funny, observant, and deeply attentive to the details that make ordinary lives unforgettable.
One of the most distinctive characters in her storytelling was her older brother Joe, who was near enough in age to be less sibling than co-conspirator. Joe was a larger-than-life personality with a sharp eye for human nature. Together, they worked at the Morrilton Democrat under legendary publisher and editor Gene Wirges, assisting in his reporting and investigations involving Conway County sheriff Marlin Hawkins — stories Janie would later recount with pride.
An avid crafter, her creativity emerged early. After learning to sew as a little girl while designing clothes for her dolls, she became an accomplished seamstress who made many of her children’s clothes — at least for as long as they would tolerate homemade outfits. In the 1980s, together with her father, a master carpenter, Janie created heirloom wooden toys for children — he carefully cutting each shape by hand, and she bringing them to life with her paintbrush.
As her children grew older, Janie returned to newspaper work as both a typesetter and journalist for papers in Lawrenceville, GA; Franklin, NC; and Ozark, AR. When she retired, she was surrounded by the books she loved so much as a librarian at the McMath Library in Little Rock.
At the end of her life, Janie’s creativity and curiosity were robbed by dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Despite a 10-year battle with the illness, she never lost her sense of humor and was beloved at the facility where she spent her last years for her sweet nature and ready compliments. The family gratefully thanks the aides that were her constant companions during that time.
Janie was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert Maury Hightower, and son, Jordan Christopher Hightower; and siblings Mary [Hoelzeman] Crutcher, Joseph Hoelzeman, Jr., and Michael Hoelzeman. She is survived by her daughter, Lara Jo Hightower and son-in-law Justin Fletcher and their children, Emmeline and Jack; her son, Andrew Hightower and daughter-in-law Michelle Hightower and their children, Alex Hawkins, Taylor McCracken, Samantha Hightower, and Will Hightower.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer's Association, the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research globally, or to Circle of Life Hospice, for which the family will be forever grateful.
Funeral Mass will be held at 1 pm on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 1722 N. Starr Dr. in Fayetteville, Ar.
To place an online tribute, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com
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